History

City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 371-211. 1903 Capilano Suspension Bridge Standing pretty in mid-air, these early tourists enjoy North Vancouver’s first tourist attraction, the steel-cable suspension bridge built over the Capilano River in 1903.

1929 Lady Van The R-class sloop Lady Van won the Lipton Cup Regatta, finally beating Seattle’s long-time champion Sir Tom. The Lady Van went on to win the cup again in 1934 (when this photo was taken), 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1940.

1948 Hudson’s Bay A novelty item, the new escalators at the Hudson’s Bay store attracted crowds and the press when they started turning in 1948.

1938 The Cave Supper Club The Cave Supper Club was a Western Canadian chain of clubs in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Edmonton. A decades-long fixture of the Vancouver nightclub scene, the club was famous for its papier-mâché stalactites and live music.

City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-3439. Photo Stuart Thomson. 1921 Kiwanis Glee Club The originals. Glee clubs, when they were cool the rst time around, trod the boards at the beautiful Capital Theatre, which first opened as a cinema.

Vancouver Public Library, Special Collections, VPL 13212.

City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-1276. Photo Stuart Thomson.

City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 371-328. Photo W.J. Cairns. 1909 Minoru Racetrack Drawing a full crowd on race day in 1912, the Minoru racetrack in Richmond proved a popular hit when it opened in 1909.

1907 Canada’s First Gas Station The first gas station in Canada opened at Cambie and Smithe Streets. Sometime this year it occurred to employees at the Vancouver office of the Imperial Oil Co.

1906 Dupont Street Until 1907 East Pender was known as Dupont Street and was home to the city’s red light district. By day it was a busy commercial thoroughfare at the entrance to Chinatown.