Granville Island Art
My favorite obscure facts about Vancouver. Did you know …..
- Greenpeace, one of the world’s biggest environmental organizations, was born in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver in the 1960′s (this is the same neighbourhood I grew up in with my bean sprout windowsills and tie dyed t-shirts!)
- There are no freeways in the downtown area of Vancouver (crazy … in a city which is rumoured to have the highest density in Canada of people living in the downtown core)
- The British Properties in West Vancouver, originally owned by the Guinness Family (yes, as in the beer Guinness) had covenants excluding Jews, Asians and blacks from owning property. Thankfully now this is no longer the case.***
- In 1884 huge, knot-free beams, 34 metres (112 feet) long by 70 cm (28 inches) square were shipped to Beijing from Burrard Inlet sawmills. They’re still there, part of the Imperial Palace.****
- All the grey squirrels in Stanley Park today are the offspring of a gift of eight pairs from New York City in 1909
- Sliced bread came to Vancouver in 1937.
- Arguably one of the most haunted sites in Vancouver is Deadman’s Island, located a stones throw from Stanley Park. “One thing about Deadman’s Island is certain: its name is appropriate. Once marked by cedar pickets and simple headboards, its graves-none of which are visible today-contain early pioneers, suicides, infants, smallpox victims, CPR construction casualties and people killed in the Great Fire of Vancouver, among others. None has been exhumed.” http://rense.com/general43/spirits.htm
- On April 6, 1945 the town of Coevorden, the Dutch city from which Capt. George Vancouver’s family derived its name, was liberated from Nazi occupation by Canadian soldiers. In a happy coincidence, April 6 is the City of Vancouver’s birthday. Coevorden, in Dutch, means “cow crossing.”*****
- “National Geographic has claimed that the common term “Skid Row” was possibly originated here in Vancouver, in the 1800′s. The phrase is used to describe the cities now “seedier” areas, currently occupied by the city of Vancouver, which were largely forest at that time. Wooden skids were constructed in the area, now currently East Hastings, to allow logs to be dumped into Burrard Inlet so they could be floated to the Mill; hence the phrase “Skid Row.” “
- In 1933, on June 9, Vancouver city council voted to allow men to go topless on city beaches. (In my opinion, a great day in history)
- “Vancouver doctors invented Botox. The work of Vancouver-based cosmetic surgeons Drs. Alastair and Jean Carruthers, discovered the wrinkle-killing effects of Botox.” ******
- In 1925, on Jan. 8, a man was attacked by a shark in the First Narrows, a body of water beside Vancouver. *****
- It is said that in 1867, when John (Gassy Jack) Deighton arrived at Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, he told the mill workers there they could have all the whiskey they could drink if they helped him build his saloon. His saloon The Globe went up in 24 hours! ****
- And my all-time favorite obscure fact ~ On August 21st, 1924 “The planet Mars was closer to Earth than it had been for many years. That lent exciting credence to the Province’s Page One story: ….“Mysterious signals picked up at Point Grey ( westerly neighbourhood in Vancouver) wireless station during the past few weeks culminated this morning in a recognized group of sounds which lead the operators to believe that Mars has succeeded in establishing communication with the earth. Four distinct groups of four dashes came in over the ether at 7:12 a.m., when Mr. W. T. Burford was on duty. These dashes were not in any known code but started on a low note, gradually ascending and concluding with a ‘zipp.’ The signals were not sent by spark nor continuous wave and the theory that Mars has at last managed to ‘get through’ is gaining support.”” ***** (It appears Vancouver was the first to believe they had contact from aliens!!)
