History

First Growth Lumber: Vancouver’s Early Industry

The west coast once supported some of the largest trees in the world including Douglas fir, cedar, hemlock, pine, spruce, maple and yew. Some of those...

Vancouver’s West End Gentrification

Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. – Arnold Bennett It’s one of the most densely...

Gastown 1905 to 2014

As Vancouver’s original Downtown founded in 1867, Gastown survived a period of decline and disrepair following the 1960s, today known as a tourist...

The Strathcona Story: A community that fought back, and the Architect that helped rebuild

In December of 1968, the residents of one of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, Strathcona, were faced with losing their neighbourhood. Whole city blocks...

Hay, Horseshoes, and the Blues: The Story of the Yale Hotel

Originally named the Colonial Hotel when it opened in 1889, the iconic building at the corner of Drake and Granville has been the Yale Hotel since 1907...

Conserving Heritage through Re-imagining of Space

In the conservation tool kit, heritage enthusiasts have several methods to support the preservation of historic spaces. Preserving ‘as-is, where-is’ can...

Invitation to Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s Places That Matter: Canron Building

Jericho Beach: 1860’s onward

The Jericho Beach area has had a full history over the past century and a half, few traces of which remain today. Named for its lumber history, what is...

Lani Russwurm’s Awesome Vancouver

When Lani Russwurm jumped online in 2008 he was one of the first to write about history in his blog Past Tense. Vancouver is Awesome, and last year he...

A Place You Should Know: Sam Kee Building

Built in 1913, the Sam Kee Building at Pender and Carrall is celebrated for its architectural ingenuity, its cultural significance to the Chinese...

Community Photo: 439 Powell Street – An Important Part of Our History & Community

Dear family, friends and supporters, In 1975, members of the Ming Sun Benevolent Society gathered outside their building at 439 Powell Street for a 50th...

Book Review – Raincoast Chronicles #22: Saving Salmon, Sailors and Souls: Stories of Service on the BC Coast

Editor: David R. Conn (Harbour Publishing, 2013) It is always a delight to get a hold of a new Raincoast Chronicles. No matter what the theme, there is...