50 plus DC - Vancouver

Vancouver

After Captain Cook and the Spanish briefly explored the area, Captain George Vancouver spent the two years in the area from 1792 in search of the North West Passage. He mapped and surveyed the area that is now downtown Vancouver. Vancouver Island was named after him and it was on the island that the first colony was set up. Settlement on the mainland was primarily in the form of trading posts and sawmills, but in 1867 ‘Gassy’ Jack Deighton set up a tavern and around it grew a town initially called Gastown but later called Granville. It was the arrival of the transcontinental railway in 1886 that turned Granville into the City of Vancouver that now has a metropolitan population of over 2 million.

The Steam Clock, Gastown

The world’s first steam powered clock marks the western entrance to the old Gastown area. Steam power may seem old fashioned, but the clock dates from 1977 and has become a big attraction for tourists. The story of John Deighton and Gastown is part of Vancouver legend. A sea captain from Hull in England, he set up the Deighton Hotel close to the shore of the Burrard Inlet. Deighton became renowned for his ‘gift of the gab’ and was nicknamed ‘Gassy Jack’, hence the town that sprang up around his hotel became known as Gastown. The hotel burned down in 1886 a fire that destroyed much of Vancouver, but Deighton is still remembered as the founder of the city. By the mid 20th century the Gastown area was largely derelict, but it has now been renovated primarily as a tourist area. Click Tab 2 to see a statue of ‘Gassy Jack’ Deighton.

Grouse Mountain & Lions Gate Bridge from Prospect Point, Stanley Park

Completed in 1938, the Lions Gate Bridge crosses the Burrard Inlet between the northern tip of Stanley Park and North Vancouver. It has a span of 472 metres (1,550 feet). The construction of the bridge triggered major growth in North Vancouver and the two lane bridge was soon getting congested. A third lane provided some extra capacity and in 2000-01 the deck was replaced to widen the lanes. The widened lanes have improved traffic flow, but the bridge remains a pinch point.

Totem Poles, Stanley Park

New York has Central Park and London has Hyde Park, but neither can rival the setting of Stanley Park in Vancouver. This was Vancouver’s first park, 400 hectares (1000 acres) in size and built on a peninsula jutting out into Burrard Inlet. The road around the perimeter provides views of downtown Vancouver, Burrard Inlet and English Bay. Amongst many attractions in the park is a fine collection of Totem Poles. The park also abounds with wildlife, for example at Prospect Point there was a Raccoon eagerly peering through the fence to scan passing tourists for any food opportunities. Click Tab 2 to see the Raccoon.

Downtown Vancouver from Stanley Park

Vancouver stands on the shores of the Burrard Inlet. It was this natural harbour that made Vancouver the choice for the western terminus of the transcontinental railway. While the downtown area has the high rise area that is obligatory across North America, in Vancouver you are always aware that you are close to water and mountains. The best views of downtown Vancouver are from Stanley Park or the more distant view along the coast from Spanish Bank. Click Tab 2 for an evening view of downtown and Burrard Inlet.

Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden

Vancouver has a large Chinese population a vibrant Chinatown area. An oasis of tranquility within the bustle of Chinatown is the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Opened in 1986 it was built using designs and techniques from the ancient Ming Dynasty gardens and was the first such garden outside of China. Full of intricate carvings such as the screen in this photograph, the garden cost 5.3 million Canadian dollars to construct.

Bloedel Conservatory, Queen Elizabeth Park

While Stanley Park represents the shoreline of Vancouver, the highest point in the city is also parkland. The 52 hectare (130 acre) Queen Elizabeth Park is a former stone quarry that was converted into a park in the 1950s. It has display gardens, an arboretum and from viewpoints in the park there are views right across the city. The Bloedel Conservatory is a geodesic dome added in 1969 to house exotic species of plants and birds.