What's New

 The Toronto House Apartments were built in 1913 during Vancouver's growth spurt of the early 1900s. You can read about the building's numerous occupants here.  In 1950 it became the Astoria Hotel, and is currently an SRO rental, with the 1950-era neon signs restored. (1923 photo is by Stuart Thompson in the VPL collection.)

 This campus landmark was originally built in 1926, and operated as a firehall until 1982. New rooms have been added, but you can still see the hose drying tower in the back.  It is currently used by various Art Departments of UBC. 

 In 1914 Charlie Chaplin makes his first film, the Komagata Maru is turned away at Vancouver's port, Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated, and beachgoers enjoy a sunny day in Kitsilano!

 This building was constructed in 1927, with Crystal Dairy as its first occupant. The company was taken over by Palm Dairy in the 1950s, but ice cream continued to be made here until the early 1960s. It currently houses a guitar shop in the heart of bustling Commercial Drive. 

The only reason a photo was taken of these two nondescript buildings in 1936 was for a court case.  Some would-be robbers rented the empty store at 662 Kingsway under the guise of growing mushrooms. They were caught digging a tunnel under the dry cleaner with the intention of robbing the Royal Bank next door. 

 This well-preserved 1904 building overlooking Victory Square has seen many tenants, including Wrigley Directories and the Odd Fellows shown here. Today it's home to a high-end furniture store. 

 This 1909 building has both architectural and historical significance in the city. The CBA was instrumental in advocating for the rights of Chinese Canadians, who faced severe discrimination in the first half of the 20th century. The building itself set the tone for the Chinatown style of architecture, such as recessed balconies and inscribed parapets, many of which are still visible today. 

 When it was built in 1910, this building had five floors. Several months later, a sixth floor was added, shown in this picture. In 1966 a fire destroyed the top floor and it went back to 5.  In 2018 another fire damaged several suites.  And that's the 'storey' of Washington Court. 

The West End experienced a massive building boom during the 1920s, including the Marlboro, and the Queen Charlotte, pictured here. Built by Dominion Construction for a businessman and politician named H H Stevens, whose beliefs in white supremacy led to his active involvement in the shameful  Komagata Maru incident. It was restored by the late Robert Ledingham and now consists of 25 million-dollar condos.

 If you look closely you can see two small children posing in front of the bandstand. When I took this photo, a homeless guy was camped under the shelter of the overhang. The Heritage Foundation claims it was built in 1914, but the photograph is dated 1912. The North Shore mountains in the background of the old photo appear much closer than in my shot, because the original photographer used a much longer lens than mine. You can see the old English Bay Pier in the background.