R. Broadbridge photo, Vancou- ver Public Library VPL 8393.
1910
Dominion Trust Building
Early skyscraper. Vancouver’s first skyscraper, at 13 storeys, was the Dominion Trust Building. When it opened in 1910, it was the tallest building in the British Empire and a symbol of the city’s pre-war energy and prosperity. It was owned by the Dominion Trust Co., a major player in the booming real estate market. By the time this photograph was taken, however, in 1915, the economy had taken a nosedive, taking with it the Dominion Trust, whose general manager had taken his own life shortly before the company went bankrupt. The building survived, and still dominates the corner of Hastings and Cambie with its striking mansard roof and colourful terracotta exterior.
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