One of our currently vacant storefronts is about to be taken over by, I believe, Pharmasave. Several people have said to me: "Why do we need another drug store on the Drive?" Fair enough question, and it led to me to see how many drug stores we have had on the Drive historically. The following … Continue reading Drug Stores On the Drive
York Theatre Renovation
The renovation of the old York Theatre at Commercial and E. Georgia is moving ahead quite quickly. As a result of the stripping of stucco from the south wall we now have another "ghost" sign: this one for the Little Theatre. It is not so easy to see, especially with the scaffolding still in place, … Continue reading York Theatre Renovation
The Jeffs House Moves Again
I am reliably informed that the Jeffs House currently being renovated at Charles & Salsbury will be settled on its new foundations tomorrow. Might be fun to watch!
Commercial Drive History Tour
Thanks to everyone who came out for the history tour of Commercial Drive yesterday morning. It was great fun, we raised a little bit of money for our centenary birthday signs project, and we had a good time. Thanks again for your support! And don''t forget Michael Kluckner's walk through Grandview next month.
Grandview Walking Tour, July 7th
Local resident and author Michael Kluckner will lead a walking tour of a corner of Grandview, examining blocks of century-old builders' houses and contrasting them with the finer homes of the real-estate speculators who put the 'grand' into Grandview, as it were. All proceeds benefit the projects of Grandview Heritage Group. Gather at 9:45 am … Continue reading Grandview Walking Tour, July 7th
The King and Queen Visit Grandview
In the late spring of 1939, as the political situation in Europe darkened and war with Germany became inevitable, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth toured Canada by train to meet their subjects and bolster the bonds of Empire From small-town whistle stops on the Prairies to bustling cities coast to coast, eager crowds cheered, … Continue reading The King and Queen Visit Grandview
Who Lived Here In 1911? (part 1)
I have spent more than a few days recently with my head in the Canada Census for 1911. The original census takers' sheets are now available on line (I'll have more to say on that at the end of this post.) and it is possible to build up a fairly detailed picture of the pioneers … Continue reading Who Lived Here In 1911? (part 1)
A Grant For Birthday Signs
For some while now, the Grandview Heritage Group has discussed the idea of placing celebratory signs on local houses and buildings that are 100 years old in a particular year. 1912 was an excellent year for buildings here and so we were keen to make sure the program kicked off this year. Therefore, we applied … Continue reading A Grant For Birthday Signs
The Name “Grandview”
There have been a few explanations of the name of our neighbourhood or, rather -- because the name is so obviously descriptive -- the date and person who coined the name. In the 1920s, City Archivist Major Matthews noted that Prof. Edward Odlum, scientist and local realtor, always claimed naming rights. I have now found … Continue reading The Name “Grandview”
Before Lily Street Was Named
Lily and Rose Streets are two of the most interesting oddities of Grandview, being "off the grid" of the surrounding streets. No doubt they were a function of lot-splitting at some early date. I have found what may be one of the first mentions of "Lily Street". In August 1907, famous local auctioneer J.J. Miller … Continue reading Before Lily Street Was Named
St. Francis of Assisi church and the Italian community
(This is an excerpt from the recently published Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years [Whitecap Books]. The photographs are from The History of Saint Francis Parish, Vancouver, published in 1959) The Franciscan Monastery, its front porch closed in, on Semlin at Napier in the 1950s There are just a handful of places in … Continue reading St. Francis of Assisi church and the Italian community
Grandview’s Historic Elms Win Recognition
The stretch of elms that runs along 6th Avenue in the nine-block stretch between Woodland Drive and Nanaimo Street has been recognized by the Vancouver Heritage Foundation as one of the 125 Places That Matter, celebrating the city's 125th anniversary. We are told that the elms received the third largest number of votes out of … Continue reading Grandview’s Historic Elms Win Recognition
Commercial Drive Walking Tour: June 9th
Historian Jak King will conduct a two-hour guided walk along Commercial Drive from Venables Street to Second Avenue. He will identify and discuss many of the heritage buildings along the route and relate stories of the people and businesses that occupied them. Meet up on the southeast corner of Venables & Commercial at 9:45am Saturday … Continue reading Commercial Drive Walking Tour: June 9th
The Alvarado Block
The Alvarado Block, which still dominates the corner at Commercial & Graveley, opened for business one hundred years ago in 1912. Owners J.Y. Griffin and J.M. Brown received a building permit on the 7th April 1911 and they hired architects Townsend & Townsend to design a $16,000 three-storey brick edifice with stores and apartments. Townsend … Continue reading The Alvarado Block
GHG Meeting Minutes, April 19th
Regular Monthly Meeting, Britannia Centre Board Room, 7:00-9:00 1. We began with a lively slide show and presentation by Michael Kluckner, a teaser for his new book, Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years, which he is launching on May 3 at People's Co-op Books on The Drive. We also got to see a sneak preview … Continue reading GHG Meeting Minutes, April 19th
How Grand View Was Sold
In 1903 and 1904, Grandview (or "Grand View" as it was generally called then) was being opened, with uncleared lots being offered in dribs and drabs in the early months, and then in a rush as 1904 began. By early 1904, one particular realtor -- Dow, Fraser & Co. -- seemed to have cornered the … Continue reading How Grand View Was Sold
Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years
Our very own distinguished historian and painter Michael Kluckner has published a new book: There will be a book launch at People's Coop Bookstore on Commercial Drive on Thursday 3rd May at 7pm and a number of other events the details of which can be seen at Michael's own website.
March 25 letter from GHG to Mayor and Council
The photo at the top of this website was taken in about 1920 by Edward Faraday Odlum from the top of the very tall flag pole in Victoria Park. The fire hall at Salsbury and Charles is gone, but pretty well all the original houses you can see in the photo are still here today. … Continue reading March 25 letter from GHG to Mayor and Council
Historic Victoria Drive Building Unveils 1920s Ad Mural and New Tenant
On Friday evening, March 23, 2012, Dominic and Giorgio Morra's Via Tevere PIzzeria Napoletana opened for business, clearly a unique local business and a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. It actually gives the neighbourhood a whole new feel after the vacant, run down storefront that was there for about a decade. And thanks again to … Continue reading Historic Victoria Drive Building Unveils 1920s Ad Mural and New Tenant
Brookhouse Looks Safe
The wonderful century-old Queen Anne heritage building at the corner of Victoria & Parker -- known as Brookhouse from a doctor who lived there in earlier times -- seems to be heading safely into the future. The new owners have applied for an HRA which will renovate and maintain the house. Their application with drawings … Continue reading Brookhouse Looks Safe
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