Back in 1931, Vancouver International Airport's (YVR) terminal was a small wood-framed two-story building with one 2,350-foot runway.
A photo posted by the Friends of the Richmond Archives on Facebook shows the building standing tall in 1940, a decade after the airport's opening.
The building that served as the terminal, administration building and control tower is located on the grounds of what is now known as the South Terminal. It began operation from the airport's opening on July 22, 1931 until it was "completely destroyed in a fire" on Feb. 20, 1949, reads the post.
According to a blog post by YVR, the airport was previously named the Sea Island Airport and Seaplane Harbour and its 1931 opening ceremony, which included an air show and four-day open house, saw an attendance of 55,000 people.
In addition to the runway and building, the airport had two concrete hangars that held 12 large planes or 30 small aircraft and a floatplane harbour.
In 1947, the City of Vancouver resumed control of the airport and scheduled international air service was added. It was then that the airport officially changed its name to Vancouver International Airport.
Following the destruction of the original terminal, a new terminal was subsequently built and opened in 1950. It would continue service to this day, eventually changing its name to the South Terminal.
According to YVR, the original Centennial Rocket also sat at the front of the site from 1939 until 1972. A replica of the rocket can now be found near the Cambie Street Bridge.
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