100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #12
The Great Storm of ’23 On Tuesday 5th June 1923, Vancouver was enjoying a heat wave, with noontime temperatures close to 80 across the city. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a storm erupted east of the city, moving rapidly west, moving first over Grandview and then much of downtown. “Great crashing in the heavens and…
100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #11
. The Pool Parlour On Tuesday 29th May 1923, G.J. Westwood received a building permit for a $3,000 one-storey building at 1816-1818 Commercial Drive. He hired William Francis Jones to design it, and R.E. James to build it, and by the following spring, Grandview Recreations was open for business at 1816 under the management of…
100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #10
Strawberries In the early spring of 1923, shoppers in Vancouver had been buying strawberries from Washington State. However, on Monday 28th May 1923: “The first British Columbia straws were put on sale Monday by a Chinese vegetable dealer at 1409 Commercial Drive, two crates being received from his Woodward’s Landing ranch … The inspector declared…
100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #9
. On Friday, 18th May 1923, John Y. Steel received a $3,000 building permit for a new store at 1544 Commercial. Steel had operated a dry goods business at 1584 Commercial since 1918. This image from 1922 shows the empty lot beside the corner block. Steel had moved into his new building by the spring…
100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #8
One hundred years ago today it was Mother’s Day and then, as now, flowers were the usual gift for the celebration. At the time of this ad in the Vancouver Sun, Grandview Florists had been established less than one year. They would stay on the Drive until the mid-1980s. The full history of the Buftons…
100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #7
A Major Accident Friday 27th April 1923 began as an ordinary working day. That afternoon, Drive power-broker and realtor Charles Smith was driving his touring car south on Commercial. He had in the car with him a Mr Wilbrand who was looking for a property, and a Mr. Robinson who seems to have been just…
100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #6
. Monday 19th March 1923 saw the first running of motor buses as scheduled units within the BC Electric system. It seems self-evident to us today that the bus would eventually take over the role in transit that streetcars used to serve. But in 1923, this was still a new and exciting development, allowing better…
International Women’s Day: Catherine Bufton
In honour of International Women’s Day, I thought I’d write a short piece on one of the most dynamic women ever to grace Grandview and Commercial Drive. Catherine Bufton (nee Drake) was born in Gloucester, England, in 1881. She emigrated to Manitoba where she met and married Hubert Bufton. After Hubert’s service in World War…
100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #5
. Friday evening, 23rd February 1923, saw the opening of the new I.O.O.F. Hall at 1718 Graveley Street. The new building was described as “handsome” and “commodious”, with electric heating. More than 250 members attended the opening banquet, and they enjoyed: “an interesting program of vocal and instrumental music, followed by dancing to the orchestra…
100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #4
. On Friday 9th February 1923, movie-goers at the Grandview Theatre on Commercial got their first chance to see fan-favourite Harold Lloyd as a country doctor who cures a girl (Mildred Davis); she promptly falls in love with him to the ire of her father (John T. Prince.)Having been released at the end of November,…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Follow My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
grandviewheritagegroup.ca 