BeyondRobson | Posts by jz

Vancouver History: Riots! Part I

JZ — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:02:09 PDT

With the Olympics closing in, I thought it was high time that we looked at a great Vancouver tradition that we've long since forgotten. I'll be starting in chronological order in the year 1935 with the Battle of Ballantyne Pier, working my way towards the infamous Guns N' Roses riot of 2002. So join me in the next couple of weeks as we take a tour of Vancouver civil disobedience at it's finest (take notes!) and please remind me if I've forgotten any. I recommend keeping your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

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Vancouver History: Stanley Park 1912

JZ — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:48:00 PDT

One of the benefits of being UBC Alumni is their seemingly random "Grad Gazette" email that trickles into my inbox every now and then. It usually contains lots of fluff pieces trying to make you miss UBC (nice try), but occasionally it has an article or two that spark my interest.

Apparently, UBC has just come into ownership of a series of photos of Stanley Park almost 100 years ago. Taken by a longtime employee of the UBC Library, Lionel Haweis founded Rosetti Photographic Studios which was thought to be in business during the 1910s.

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Vancouver History: Vancouver Whitecaps/86ers

JZ — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:44:31 PDT

If you know me, you know that I love football (fine...soccer). In Vancouver our options have usually been few and far between, but one semi-consistant source of footy-fun over the years has been the Vancouver Whitecaps.

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Vancouver History: Burrard Bridge

JZ — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:55:40 PDT

As I stated in my post about Lion's Gate Bridge , bridges are simply a way of life to us in Vancouver. Either getting in or out of the city, you usually have to cross over at least one - and that's if you're lucky. Burrard bridge poses a few unique and interesting challenges that will greatly shape it's future in the city of Vancouver, and certainly affect our usage, but for now... the history!

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Vancouver History: Streetcars

JZ — Mon, 26 May 2008 09:22:16 PDT

Transportation is always a big issue in Vancouver. With our mish-mash system of bridges, tunnels, skytrains, and buses (and the occasional ferry), new developments are usually welcomed - until we subsequently use them and then proclaim that they're horrible and lots of taxpayer dollars were wasted. Such is life in Lotusland, I suppose. Regardless, it seems that while we're currently trying to come up with new ways to get around Vancouver, we used to have a very effective means: Streetcars!

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Vancouver History: Letters to the Editor, Kitsilano

JZ — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:04:32 PDT

When I picked up that book about Stanley Park history that made up the last two weeks posts, I also managed to grab a great book called The Way We Were: BC's Amazing Journey to the Millennium by the staff of the Province newspaper. It's filled with great photos and articles from BC's past starting at just before 1900 and it does a great job of capturing how fresh and new BC is in terms of our history. Seeing photos of horse drawn wagons cutting through a path above the Thompson River in 1867 really gives you an interesting glimpse into what the landscape was like and how treacherous it must have been to settle in the Lower Mainland.

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Vancouver History: Stanley Park Board Minutes II

JZ — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:43:14 PDT

Continuing last weeks Vancouver History, here are the Board minutes from 1920 all the way to 1956 from A Guide to Stanley Park by Lynn Vardeman and Freda Carr. Note the increase in absolutely ridiculous proposals, along with the usual array of Vancouver-specific issues, difficulties, and frustrations - some things never change.

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Vancouver History: Stanley Park Board Minutes Part I

JZ — Mon, 05 May 2008 08:58:02 PDT

This week, I'd like to take a break from the history of a particular place, and instead post an excerpt from a great book called A Guide to Stanley Park by Lynn Vardeman and Freda Carr. I picked it up at Cantebury Tales Secondhand Books in Kits.

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Vancouver History: Lions Gate Bridge

JZ — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:45:13 PDT

If there's one thing more pervasive than rain in Vancouver, it's bridges. Officially known as the First Narrows bridge, the Lions Gate is one of Vancouver's most recognizable landmarks and constant sources of frustration. It links the communities of downtown Vancouver with those of North and West Vancouver and is named after the two famous mountain peaks that overlook it.

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Vancouver History: Hogan's Alley

JZ — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:29:55 PDT

In juxtaposition to last week's Vancouver History about the false tales of Blood Alley, I'd like to take a look at some Vancouver history that was real, exciting, fresh, gritty, and subsequently destroyed by the City of Vancouver - Hogan's Alley. Known officially as "Park Lane", Hogan's Alley ceases to exist - at least in any sort of meaningful, historical way - but it's destruction allows me to write another post about alleys, so it's pretty much a win-win.

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Vancouver History: Blood Alley

JZ — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:13:48 PDT

While better known for crime, homelessness, and hardcore drug-abuse, Gastown is also home to a particular alley that gets a lot of play on historic Vancouver walking tours - Blood Alley! Located off of Carrall St. right next to Gaoler's Mews, Blood Alley is fairly stereotypical of a Gastown alley - there's brickwork lining half of the alley and nearby buildings; there are ornate aged lamps and railings clustered together at it's entrance; and there are homeless Vancouverites huddled together out of the rain. What makes Blood Alley famous is not it's aesthetic appeal, but that it is home to perhaps the largest amount of rumours, myths, tall tales, and outright fabrications in Vancouver history.

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Portobello West Market - Spring Opening

JZ — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:37:20 PDT

Nothing says Spring like getting mauled by hordes of fashion-crazy women. I had the luxury (perhaps courage?) to take part in the Spring opening of the Portobello West Market last Sunday and while it was packed, true fashion was few and far between.

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My Favourite Thrift Shop

JZ — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:53:45 PDT

In a city where studio Condo's sell for $500 000, thrift shopping abounds. My most recent foray into the world of bargain hunting was at My Favourite Thrift Shop at 4th and MacDONALD in Kitsilano which supports BC's Children with Disabilities. At first glance, the shop looks like any other thrift shop with various paperbacks, furniture, and 'one-dollar' racks outside. Inside, however, the shopper is treated to a wide range of items in both terms of variety and price.

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