History
The Historical Steam Line Walk yaletown Industrial Sector
a lumber & transportation hub Yaletown was home to factories, a cooperage, rail yards, lumber yards, and 13 “beehive burners” (pic- tured here). Logs from the forests of B.C. were gath- ered in Yaletown and processed into lumber. This lumber was used for railway construction and for Canadian furniture fabrication. The waste wood after processing was burned in the beehive burners of False Creek.
NOW An enclave for Vancouver’s design industry Yaletown hosts creative talents in architecture, soft- ware, fashion, food, furniture and art. World class designers and artisans craft award winning master- pieces that continue to solidify Yaletown as a cre- ative community. This “Shattered Sphere” by master artisan Brent Comber is made of B.C. cedar recov- ered from the windfall at nearby Stanley Park.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk
Last Stop: Yaletown
Canada’s first transcontinental train: Engine 374 May 23, 1887 was a great day for Yaletown, when CPR Engine 374 pulled the first transcontinental train into the city. Crowds cheered, the city band played, ships in the harbour blew their horns, and hundreds of flags decorated the young city. It was a great day not only for Vancouver, but for the whole nation. The event heralded the completion of one of the greatest engineering feats of the century, a twin line of steel linking the new nation of Canada from coast to coast, ten years in construction*. Engine 374 is currently housed at the Roundhouse in Yaletown.
*Excerpted from West Coast Railway Association archives.
Canada’s newest passenger train: Canada Line Opened in August 2009, the Canada Line train pulled into the Yaletown-Roundhouse station amid cheering crowds. The Canada Line is a rapid transit line in the Metro Vancouver region that connects with Skytrain, WestCoast Express and the Seabus. The Canada Line comprises 19.2 kilometers (11.8 mi) of track; the main line links Vancouver to Richmond, while a 4 km spur line from Bridgeport Station connects to the airport.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Public Art
From Infrastructure to Art The photograph above depicts the Ring Gear monu- ment, located in the heart of Yaletown on Pacific Blvd. The gear supported the swing span of the Connaught Bridge (1911-1984), now replaced by the Cambie St. bridge. In 1987, the 8 metre high gear was installed in its current location to commemorate the bridge designers and builders. The Ring Gear’s unique history makes it one of Yaletown’s most iconic pieces of public art.
A blend of history and design Yaletown currently has the highest density of public art in Vancouver, and its collection of public art con- tinues to expand and diversify. Igor Mitoraj’s “Eros Bendato Scippolato”, featured in the photograph above, was installed in 2010 as part of the presti- gious Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale. While many of Yaletown’s public art pieces inter- act with natural elements such as wind, light, tides and waves, others interact directly with the viewer. The benches that were recently installed through- out Yaletown’s heritage district were made from reclaimed warehouse beams from the area, and combine modern design with historic elements.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk
Lumber: an important part of yaletown’s history
Local forests fed the railway Douglas Fir trees from the Fraser Valley were vital to the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the founding of Yaletown. Timbers from first-growth trees (pictured here) were used to build railway tres- tles, bridges and ties, bringing train service into the heart of Vancouver, and forever establishing the city as a transportation hub.
RAILWAY LUMBER STILL IN USE “Railway Lumber” has continued to be used in Yaletown to construct warehouses and rail yard work sheds, and recently to produce unique wood fur- nishings. The newest additions to Yaletown are the “Chapel Benches”, made from Douglas Fir reclaimed from Yaletown heritage warehouses. The benches are designed by local artisan Nathan Wiens, and incor- porate warehouse beams with railway steel into func- tional public art.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Yaletown HISTORY: vignette 2
yaletown
(Looking south) How much does railway steel weigh? A lot! The railway steel in Yaletown weighs 49.6kg per meter, or 100lbs per foot.
Why are the commercial buildings of Yaletown so much shorter than the residential skyscrapers? These buildings represent the original height of the warehouses in Yaletown. The City of Vancouver protected the area by declaring it a heritage district. Now, the heritage district has building height restri- cted to 21.4m (70.2ft) or the height existing on June 10, 1986 (whichever is greater).
What was “LiveCity” Yaletown? During the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver hosted outdoor celebrations at LiveCity Yaletown. Sited in David Lam Park, thousands of guests visited every day. Each day featured free entertainment, local celebrations and evening fire- works.
What events has Yaletown hosted? Some of the events include; 2010 Winter Olympic Games torch relay, Expo ‘86, Vancouver International 1/2 Marathon, World Police and Fire Games 2009.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Yaletown HISTORY: vignette 1
Is Yaletown really a heritage district? Yes! In 1996, Vancouver created a new “Historic Area District Schedule for Yaletown (HA-3)”. This schedule requires that buildings keep proportions and details of the predominant circa 1900 architectural features. Yaletown hosts over 25 municipal heritage sites, and a provincial heritage designation site (the Roundhouse).
Why is the sidewalk raised? The sidewalks were originally freight docks, which were raised to equal the height of rail cars for easier loading and unloading. These loading docks are the last remaining original loading docks in Vancouver.
Where is the original waterline of Yaletown? Pacific Blvd. was the closest road to False Creek and it followed the contours of the shoreline. During World War I, part of False Creek, was filled in by railway companies to create new land for their yards and terminals.
What was the significance of Yaletown becoming a rail yard? Yaletown was created when the railway moved its construction equipment and repair shops from Yale in the Fraser Canyon to Vancouver. This was particu- larly important because the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1887 marked the completion of the railway’s western terminus across Canada.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Explore Yaletown
From rail yard to urban neighbourhood
Yaletown is rich in history. As one of Vancouver’s oldest communities, it has transformed from an indus- trial area into a urban neighbourhood.
Yaletown began as a rail yard in 1886 when the Town of Yale moved operations into Vancouver to complete the Canadian Pacific Railway. Yaletown quickly became the industrial center for Vancouver.
As Vancouver evolved, Yaletown became host to the design and tech industries. Restaurants and boutiques soon followed.
The Yaletown History boards are installed throughout the neighbourhood to provide a self-guided tour of Yaletown, brought to you by the Yaletown Business Improvement Association, local area businesses and project sponsors.
Interested in exploring further? There are several Yaletown walking tours listed online at: http://yaletowninfo.com/neighbourhood/walking-tours/ • Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale • Architectural Institute of B.C. guided tour • Active Communities Art Walking Tour • Steam Line Walking Route • Vancouver Neighbourhood Walking Tour
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Explore Yaletown
From rail yard to urban neighbourhood
Yaletown is rich in history. As one of Vancouver’s oldest communities, it has transformed from an indus- trial area into a urban neighbourhood.
Yaletown began as a rail yard in 1886 when the Town of Yale moved operations into Vancouver to complete the Canadian Pacific Railway. Yaletown quickly became the industrial center for Vancouver.
As Vancouver evolved, Yaletown became host to the design and tech industries. Restaurants and boutiques soon followed.
The Yaletown History boards are installed throughout the neighbourhood to provide a self-guided tour of Yaletown, brought to you by the Yaletown Business Improvement Association, local area businesses and project sponsors.
Interested in exploring further? There are several Yaletown walking tours listed online at: http://yaletowninfo.com/neighbourhood/walking-tours/ • Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale • Architectural Institute of B.C. guided tour • Active Communities Art Walking Tour • Steam Line Walking Route • Vancouver Neighbourhood Walking Tour
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Explore Yaletown
From rail yard to urban neighbourhood
Yaletown is rich in history. As one of Vancouver’s oldest communities, it has transformed from an indus- trial area into a urban neighbourhood.
Yaletown began as a rail yard in 1886 when the Town of Yale moved operations into Vancouver to complete the Canadian Pacific Railway. Yaletown quickly became the industrial center for Vancouver.
As Vancouver evolved, Yaletown became host to the design and tech industries. Restaurants and boutiques soon followed.
The Yaletown History boards are installed throughout the neighbourhood to provide a self-guided tour of Yaletown, brought to you by the Yaletown Business Improvement Association, local area businesses and project sponsors.
Interested in exploring further? There are several Yaletown walking tours listed online at: http://yaletowninfo.com/neighbourhood/walking-tours/ • Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale • Architectural Institute of B.C. guided tour • Active Communities Art Walking Tour • Steam Line Walking Route • Vancouver Neighbourhood Walking Tour
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
history of The CPR in Yaletown When the Canadian Pacific Railway decided that Yaletown would be its western headquarters, the “Canadian Dream” of a national confederation was realized. British Columbia joined the new Confederation on the provision that the federal government extend the national railway all the way to the Pacific, making the Canadian Pacific Railway a truly transcontinental railway. Yaletown remained an active railyard for one hundred years until the early-1980’s, when the railyard withdrew to make way for development.
Yaletown Caboose The Yaletown Business Improvement Association has located an authentic, decommissioned railway caboose near Mainland and Nelson, alongside Yaletown Park. This is part of a “heritage street fur- nishings” program undertaken by the Yaletown BIA to commemorate Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary in 2011. The caboose or “brake car” was the final rail car in a train, and served many purposes such as crew quarters, a mobile office and was the brake van for trains on steep inclines and sharp corners.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Bridges OF YALETOWN
Construction and demolition: a changing landscape Yaletown has always been the point of connection between the downtown core and the west and south sides of Vancouver. From its earliest days, bridges have spanned False Creek. The Kitsilano trestle, located in the foreground of the photograph, was constructed in 1886 for rail use. The trestle became a navigational hazard as the volume of marine traffic increased in False Creek, and the trestle was demol- ished in 1982. Under construction is the third (and current) Granville Street Bridge, which opened in 1954 to replace the older Granville Street Bridge. The second Granville Street Bridge, which was built in 1909, remains standing behind the partially completed Granville Street Bridge in the photograph. Faintly visible on the horizon is the Connaught Bridge, which opened in 1911 and remained in service until 1984. It is commonly referred to as the Cambie Street Bridge, and was the second bridge built in the same location.
Vital links: today’s bridges Today there are three bridges that connect Yaletown with neighbouring areas of Vancouver. The Cambie Street Bridge was built in 1984 and connects Yaletown with the Fairview and Mount Pleasant dis- tricts. The current Granville Street Bridge has been standing since 1954, and links Yaletown with South Granville. The Burrard Street Bridge spans False Creek, connecting Yaletown with Kitsilano. Built in 1932, the Burrard Street Bridge is Vancouver’s only Art Deco Bridge, and has become one of Vancouver’s iconic landmarks.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Canadian Bag Company
Sturdy brick buildings stand the test of time For over 100 years, Yaletown has been a centre of industry and creativity. The district was filled with six-storey warehouses which housed distribu- tion and light manufacturing such as the Canadian Bag Company (pictured here), the Naval Stores and Murchies Tea. Sturdy brick buildings with overly large windows (to maximize the natural light indoors) gave the area its reputation as an industrial area within the core of the city.
Warehouses now home to over 900 businesses Many of the original warehouses have been con- verted to more modern uses to accommodate the 900 businesses of current Yaletown. Restaurants, retail, hi-tech firms and designers have transformed the single purpose spaces into an area representing diverse industries. The classic warehouse character- istics of open beams, large windows, freight elevators and raw brick walls have been preserved within these more modern facilities.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk YALETOWN STREETS
The naming of Yaletown
When the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) moved its rail yards from Yale in the Fraser River Canyon to False Creek they naturally named the new location Yaletown.
Hamilton Street: Named for (and by) L.A. Hamilton, CPR Land Commissioner and Vancouver’s first city planner. Hamilton surveyed and named most of the streets of Vancouver. The first three streets named were Abbot, Cambie, and Hamilton.
Davie Street: Named after Alexander E. B. Davie, premier of British Columbia until he died in office in 1889. Finance Minister John Robson (Robson Street) was the next premier, who was in turn fol- lowed by E.B. Davie’s brother and fellow lawyer Theodore Davie.
Drake Street: Named after Montague Tyrwhitt-Drake a lawyer, MLA and Supreme Court judge.
Helmcken Street: Named after the well-known Dr. John S. Helmcken, who later became an MLA and was one of the three B.C. representatives who negoti- ated terms for B.C.’s joining of Confederation.
Homer Street: Named for Joshua A. R. Homer whose career included mill owner, mining investor, high sheriff and politician.
Mainland Street: Named after the Mainland Transfer Company (a shipping firm), which originally had its boat dock on the CPR lands of False Creek.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Loading docks
An industrial area transforms Transfers of tea, coffee, yard goods and foods filled the warehouses of Yaletown for nearly 100 years. The unique raised loading docks serviced rail cars and trucks, helping thousands of tons of goods to be moved through Yaletown to the quickly growing prov- ince of British Columbia. Today, Yaletown is home to 27 city heritage sites as well as the famous Round- house Community Centre, which is a provincial heri- tage site.
A unique patio district Those same raised loading docks that transferred all manner of goods from buggy, rail and truck have now become the hottest patios in the city. Home to more than 80 restaurants, the Yaletown docks not only form the largest sidewalks in Vancouver, but also showcase the culinary talents of some of the world’s best chefs.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk FROM BARRELS TO stadium
Sweeney Cooperage As Canada’s only manufacturer of wooden barrels, the Sweeney Cooperage Ltd. operated in Yaletown (1929-1981)on the site that now houses BC Place Stadium. Originally established as a backyard busi- ness in Victoria by Michael Sweeney, the family business grew over 90 years to become the largest cooperage in the British Empire. Using timber of fir and oak, Sweeney’s sold barrels, pails and tubs to customers in more than 40 countries from its 4 hectare site on False Creek.
Photo: flickr id totororo roro BC Place Stadium Opened on June 19, 1983 as the world’s largest air- supported stadium, it was built in part as the opening and closing venue of Expo 86 and in part to house professional sports teams. Since 1983 it has been the home for the Canadian Football League (CFL) BC Lions, and has also been home to the Vancouver Whitecaps. It was the Olympic Stadium during the 2010 Winter Olympic and 2010 Paralympic Games. The stadium was refurbished in 2011 with a retractable roof.
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Historical Steam Line Walk A neighbourhood develops
Warehousing and manufacturing Designed as a shipping and transfer point for rail goods, Yaletown was the centre of warehouse activity in Vancouver. Lumber, tea, coffee, textiles, wooden barrels and steel goods moved through Yaletown. Warehouses for Murchie’s Tea & Coffee Ltd., Nabob Foods, Canadian Bag Co. and Joseph P. Kennedy Exporting Co. (father of American President John F. Kennedy) operated here. The New Yorker, Percival, Hamilton and Murchie buildings (pictured here) were among the first warehouses in Vancouver to be converted into “loft” style residences in the 1990s, beginning Yaletown’s transformation into a mixed use neighbourhood.
An urban community Today Yaletown is a true urban community made up of a dense mixture of residential and commercial tenants, restaurants and boutiques, making it one of the most sought after areas to live, work, and play in all of Vancouver. Warehouses have become condominiums, loading docks have become patios, and rail yards have become backyards to over 14,000 residents.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk First gas station
Imperial Oil’s first gas station Canada’s first gas station opened in 1907 at the southeast corner of Cambie and Smythe in Yaletown. Operated by the Imperial Oil Company, pails were hand-dipped into a large wooden barrel of gaso- line and then transferred to cars (the first gasoline powered car arrived in 1904). Soon after, a kitchen hot water tank with a garden hose attached to it was used to deliver the gas more safely to vehicles.
The Steam Line Walk As a major urban neighbourhood, Yaletown hosts many alternate methods of transportation: Canada Line rapid transit, buses, electric scooters, bicycles and pedes- trian routes criss-cross the district. Vancouver’s newest official walking route “The Steam Line” begins on the north side of False Creek at the Roundhouse Steam Engine 374 and passes by many historic buildings as it makes its way to the Gastown Steam Clock. The Steam Line Walk is 2.11km or (1.32 miles) long.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Fashion
Fashion in the 70’s Yaletown is a very talented neighbourhood that has gone through many phases since the 1880s. For over 100 years, it was the transportation and wholesale supply centre for Vancouver. By the 1960s, Yaletown had focused into a garment and fashion district, home to labels such as Lore Marie Wiener, Mary Quant, Nygard and Paco Rabanne. The swinging ‘60s produced miniskirts and go-go boots, see-through plastic dresses and topless bathing suits. Bell bottom pants and platform shoes were not far behind as Yaletown supplied the hottest fashions to shopping icons Woodwards, Drysdales and Spencers.
A fashion and design centre Today, high fashion still lives in Yaletown in the trendi- est boutiques and design studios of the City. Label- seekers will discover European couture, leading edge design studios and the latest in urban trends from New York, Milan and Canada. Home to the creative com- munity, Yaletown hosts leaders in fashion, architecture, interior design and software.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk THE Great Fire
1886 Yaletown ignites the Great Vancouver Fire At 2 pm on a warm summer day June 13th, 1886, a work crew clearing brush for the new CPR rail yards in Yaletown lost control of a slash (waste wood) fire. The flames travelled quickly from the corner of Drake and Homer Streets to Hastings Mill, burning the entire city to the ground within 60 minutes. Only a few stone and brick buildings remained.
1986 World Exposition One hundred years later in May 1986, Vancouver hosted the World Exposition on the north shore of False Creek and waterfront of Yaletown. Opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the fair featured pavilions from 54 nations and corporations. Over 22 million visitors travelled the world within the 173 acre site. Lasting structures from Expo ‘86 include the Roundhouse (now a community centre), the Expo Centre (now the Telus World of Science-pictured above), BC Place and the Skytrain rapid transit line.
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The Historical Steam Line Walk Parks & Recreation
1905 Recreation Park in Yaletown In the 5 acres bordered by Smithe St., Nelson St., Hamilton St. and Homer St., the City of Vancouver created a recreation park with a stadium and playing field. The field was the first in the city to be com- pletely fenced. The park was home to the Vancouver Vets baseball team, as well as a number of commu- nity lacrosse and sports teams. The site was also used for occasions such as the commemoration marking the death of King Edward VII in May 1910. The park opened in 1905 and survived until 1913 when it was replaced by a new athletic park at 5th and Hemlock.
2010 Olympic Winter Games come to Yaletown On February 12, 2010 the Olympic torch reached Yaletown, its destination on the final leg of its 45,000 km cross-Canada torch relay. The streets of Yaletown filled with fans cheering its journey. During the games Feb. 12-28, 2010, Yaletown became a major centre for entertainment and festivities. Mainland St. became an official “pedestrian zone” where visitors from all nations gathered to celebrate. Hamilton St. hosted non-stop street hockey, live jazz, emerging artists and a daily parade. LiveCity Yaletown kept the party going into the evenings showcasing Canadian and international talent.
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