Every day we share a single photo from our Flickr Pool shot by one of our faithful and talented readers (that’s you!).
I wasn't going to go too crazy with the 125th anniversary thing today with this post, I kinda just wanted to reference it somehow and move on. It was with that in mind that I approached the pool - just like any other day - but curiousity caught me in a vulnerable state. The image that captured my attention featured a city fixture I had wondered about through the years, yet never bothered to investigate. So first the photo, Cambie Rocket by Dustin Sacks, and then read below about what I learned and how I try to tie all together somehow.
Turns out that this statue was built to celebrate Vancouver's 100th anniversary in 1986 by the Sheet Metal Workers Union 280 and the Vancouver Transportation Club. It also tied nicely into the Transportation co-theme of Expo 86, where it was displayed prior to being installed at the south end of the Cambie Bridge.
But wait, there's more: it's a replica! The original rocket was a feature of Sheet Metal Workers Union 280's parade float for the Pacific National Exhibition Jubilee Parade for Vancouver's 50th anniversary in 1936. After that parade, the original rocket was installed at the Vancouver Air Terminal until 1972 (see a sweet 1939 photo here) when it finally succumbed to rust. Both versions are credited to Lew Parry who used the original plans to fabricate both.
As if all that wasn't enough, at the base of the current version is a time capsule that will be opened in 2036!
(you can read about the rocket from the Sheet Metal Workers Union 280 website here)
(read about the rocket on Vancouver's Public Art Registry page here)
