History

R. Broadbridge photo, Vancou- ver Public Library VPL 9426. 1912 Sylvia Hotel The Sylvia. Still a distinctive feature of Beach Avenue, the Sylvia Hotel was built in 1912 on English Bay as an apartment building.

Vancouver Public Library, Special Collections, VPL 20974. 1910 Pacific National Exhibition The renowned Pacific National Exhibition opened for the first time on August 15, 1910.

Below is the second episode of our history TV show, BC Was Awesome ! Produced by Artaban Productions and supported by TELUS Optik Local , we're releasing 10 stories of our province's weird history over the next few weeks on our Facebook Page .

City of Vancouver Archives, Bu P683. 1886 Powell Street The oldest brick building in modern-day Vancouver was constructed in the same year as the devastating Great Fire—1886.

Vancouver Sun. 1950 Park Royal Shopping by the sea! Park Royal, the first shopping centre in Canada, was developed by the same land company that owned the British Properties and the Lions Gate Bridge.

City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-2656. Stuart Thomson photo. 1932 Burrard Bridge Bridge to future. Another sign of the city’s progress and maturity, the Burrard Bridge was opened on Dominion Day, July 1, 1932, to great fanfare and excitement.

I'm so excited to announce the launch of our history TV show, BC Was Awesome ! We've been working on it for over a year with the folks at Artaban Productions and will be showing all 10 segments of our first season on our Facebook Page as well as here

Ken Oakes / Vancouver Sun. 1980 Kitsilano Beach These Vancouverites, photographed in 1980, are enjoying the outcome of a decision made decades earlier to build a salt-water swimming pool at Kitsilano Beach.

Shorty Lahaie found his best friend dead from exposure in the mid 1950s, the men were the last two residents of Quesnel Forks. The body lay across a section of the 17km trail they both walked to get to work at Bullion Pit Mine.

City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-4117. Stuart Thomson photo. 1930 Commodore Lanes Still shining with bright lights, Canada’s oldest bowling centre, Commodore Lanes and Billiards, opened downtown in 1930 in the basement of 838 Granville Street.