Heritage Vancouver is pleased to announce the launch of the Vancouver Interactive Building Permits Database. This is the result of 17 years of work that has resulted in the transcription of approximately 26,000 permits issued between the years 1901 to 1921. The online searchable database will “go live” at our Celebration on November 23, 2011 at the City of Vancouver Archives. We invite you to attend the launch, and by November 11th nominate your favorite historic house in the City of Vancouver; ten homes will be selected and featured at the launch.
The Database will unlock the secrets of many thousands of Vancouver’s historic buildings and make this information publicly accessible. This exciting project will bring Vancouver’s history alive for the citizens of the city and will be a permanent legacy of invaluable historical information.
Join us at the City of Vancouver Archives for this dynamic “go live event” and search your favourite historic building on the database. Vancouver historian Maurice Guibord will illustrate the usefulness of the database in his talk on “the ethnically diverse nature of early Vancouver”. We are featuring ten historic homes from a cross section of Vancouver’s early neighbourhoods, with information on the original homeowners from the diverse countries that made up early Vancouver. There is free Wi-Fi at the Archives and you are encouraged to bring an electronic device to search the database.
The Project: Transcription & Online Database
The Vancouver Building Permits Database will unlock the secrets of many thousands of Vancouver’s historic buildings and make this information publicly accessible. One of the most frequent questions at the City of Vancouver Archives is “How old is my house?” Until now, the early building permit information for Vancouver buildings has been locked away in chronological register books, not searchable in any way. Now – finally – this relatively inaccessible source of vital information will be made freely available through the release of a long-anticipated online searchable database of these invaluable historical records.
Until this launch of this Database, this type of information on the history of many Vancouver sites has not been readily available. In addition to the invaluable and accurate permit information this will supply to countless building owners and researchers, it will support many different types of research into Vancouver’s history, which could include statistical research, understanding the growth of individual neighbourhoods, support for genealogical research and other types of investigation that have not yet been considered. This will also support those interested in the built environment, including those involved in real estate, as this will provide readily accessible information on the majority of early buildings in Vancouver. The Database will promote the value of many sites through the provision of accurate historical information for both vendors and buyers.
For more information on the transcription and database project click here.
Our Launch Event – Celebration to Launch Vancouver’s Interactive Building Permit Database
DATE: Wednesday, November 23, 2011
LOCATION: The City of Vancouver Archives, 1150 Chestnut Street at Kits Point
TIME: 7 pm to 9 pm, doors open at 6:30 pm
ADMISSION: Free; preregistration is required through Eventbrite
Nominate Your Favourite Heritage Home
Do you have a favourite heritage home in Vancouver that was built in one of the following years?
City of Vancouver: 1901 to 1904 and 1909 to 1919
Corporation of the District of South Vancouver: 1911 to 1921 (amalgamated with Vancouver in 1929)
Corporation of Point Grey: 1912 to 1921 (amalgamated with Vancouver in 1929)
If yes, Heritage Vancouver invites you to nominate your favourite home, send us the address, any information or stories you have about the house, why you like it, and your relationship to it.
Send your nominations to info@heritagevancouver.org by November 11th, 2011.
Heritage Vancouver will select ten houses from a cross section of Vancouver’s historic neighbourhoods. The ten houses will be featured at our 125th Anniversary Celebration, the launch of our Interactive Building Permit Database, November 23rd from 7pm to 9pm at the City of Vancouver Archives. At this “go live” event we will honour those who nominated the selected houses, with photographs and information from our database about the ten houses. Vancouver historian Maurice Guibord will illustrate the usefulness of the database in his talk on “the ethnically diverse nature of early Vancouver”. After the launch the database, photos and stories about the ten houses will be featured on Heritage Vancouver’s website.
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Additional information: events@heritagevancouver.org
Heritage Vancouver Society: www.heritagevancouver.org
City of Vancouver Archives: www.vancouver.ca/archives
Vancouver 125: www.celebratevancouver125.ca
