What's New

Barber-Ellis Building
added December 01, 2020
Barber-Ellis Building
This was the Canadian headquarters for envelope maker Barber-Ellis, who also had a manufacturing facility down the street. In its heyday it produced over 400 million envelopes a year. A large addition was made to the building in later years, and Barber-Ellis was absorbed by Unisource, which in turn was folded into Veritiv

Man crossing Beach Avenue at Davie Street
added December 01, 2020
Man crossing Beach Avenue at Davie Street
There are lots of reference points in these two photographs, the most obvious one being the Berkeley Tower in the background, now dwarfed by others competing for views. The 16-storey building was constructed in 1958, and was the first highrise in the West End.  Photo courtesy City of Vancouver. 

Capitola Pharmacy and Apartments
added December 01, 2020
Capitola Pharmacy and Apartments
 Built in 1909 by John Seabold, an American who left Vancouver to avoid serving in the Great War, abandoning this building and others throughout the West End. 

Smith, Davidson & Wright Building
added December 01, 2020
Smith, Davidson & Wright Building
 From the Vancouver Heritage Foundation: "Smith Davidson & Wright were a wholesale stationers and paper dealer formed in 1907 by Fred Smith, William E. Davidson and Francis Wright. The building was designed by E.E. Blackmore and completed in 1910 on the newly released CPR lands east of Homer. By 1930 the company had expanded to Victoria, Calgary, Saskatoon and Edmonton. In 1953 the Company became Smith Davidson & Lecky. The name is still inscribed over the entrance. The new partner, John Lecky, was married to H.R. MacMillan’s oldest daughter Marion. H.R. MacMillan bought the company for his son-in-law to run. The company also had a warehouse on Granville Island." 

A Kitsilano home on West 7th Avenue
added December 01, 2020
A Kitsilano home on West 7th Avenue
 In 1912, the Titanic sinks, New Mexico becomes a state, and Annie Walker poses on the front porch with her son Eric. 

Dunbar and 17th
added December 01, 2020
Dunbar and 17th
 100 years ago, the corner building used to be a Safeway. 

Broadway and Alma
added December 01, 2020
Broadway and Alma
The only structure surviving today is the street itself.  Rights holder Jack Lindsay under copyright.

House at 2nd Avenue and Waterloo
added December 01, 2020
House at 2nd Avenue and Waterloo
A perfectly preserved home that looks like it could have been built yesterday. 

Dunbar Theatre
added December 01, 2020
Dunbar Theatre
 One of Vancouver's last remaining neighbourhood theatres. You can read more about its history here. It managed to survive the recent lockdown, but its future as one of Vancouver's last independent movie theatres is uncertain. 

Brown Skin Beach
added December 01, 2020
Brown Skin Beach
 According to Forbidden Vancouver, "From its opening in 1928 until 1945, Vancouver’s main indoor swimming pool, Crystal Pool, was racially segregated; “whites, negroes, and Orientals” could all swim there, but not at the same time. Perhaps because of such racial exclusion, non-white folks informally claimed the beach at the old Kitsilano Indian Reserve below Burrard Street Bridge as their own. It became known as “Brown Skin Beach,” but was lost when the old reserve lands were developed into Vanier Park." There's a marina on this spot now, and the water in False Creek is too toxic for swimming. 

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