Comments on: Burrard View Park

By: Phil Wyles

Phil Wyles — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 19:33:17 +0000

In reply to Nick Kennedy. Mr Mills. I remember Mr Mills from my visit in January of 1970. He was a good guy. Most of those guards were good guys if you just minded your own business and didn't create drama.

By: Nick Kennedy

Nick Kennedy — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 06:12:44 +0000

In reply to Aaron Chapman. Hi Aaron! L0L I keep running into you online! I was looking on Street View at that pool that used to be on Burrard Inlet, and I thought I would check out Juvie too, bc I was in there circa 1968ish. I went thru that tunnel to Family Court from Juvie, where I was 'assigned' to Children's Aid Society. Mr. Mills was a Newfie guard at Juvie and a real character! He was a funny guy! I was happy to get out of an abusive home situation with my drunken father back then! I went to Alma House, and stayed there a few weeks(maybe longer) IIRC, then was assigned to a Group Home at 54th/Nanaimo st. area where I lived for 3 years until I was 18.

By: Adrienne Glen

Adrienne Glen — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 23:35:04 +0000

Hello Eve, Do you know if there are any records of the children who lived at the Wall Street Orphanage and/or Baby Cottage. My great aunt’s children were left there (not sure which one or exact dates) after she died in childbirth. Her husband (father of the children) left them there–not sure of the circumstances. These children were never mentioned by my family. I learned about them much later in life after being contacted by one of their relatives. I would love to find some records. Thanks for your wonderful work.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 00:02:45 +0000

In reply to Michelle Fuchs. i was in there in 68 spent time in solitary confinement for two weeks at the age of 15 if you can imagine they still do it to kids even after all these years. I turned to drugs to help deal with the treatment and the trauma i that was associated with it. So you think after almost 50 years things haven't changed. I think the powers at be should spend a few days in what they now call a chill out room instead of solitary confinement.

By: Michelle Fuchs

Michelle Fuchs — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 00:14:20 +0000

Eve, thank you so much for this. I have been racking my brains and google trying to find any info on the old Vancouver (Provincial) Family Court (Yale Street, we called it) and when did it close and move to Robson Square. Like Judge Gove, I certainly made appearances there from 1991 onward but well before 1997 (when I left Vancouver), Yale Street had closed and Family Court was in Robson Square. I am pretty certain the building called the Babies Cottage in the 1934 image above is what became the Family Court – a pic from the Vancouver Archives is here: https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/2625-yale-street-3

So I guess it’s now the Cottage Hospice?

Are you able to enlighten me as to when Family Court left Yale Street? and I assume the building became the hospice not long after?

Thank you for your wonderful blog!

By: Wendy Knowlan SinclairSmith

Wendy Knowlan SinclairSmith — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 03:19:40 +0000

In your photo of the orphanage, which is if high quality by the way, on the right edge of the photo, in behind the trees you can see the Babies’ Cottage. On the left, at the very edge and at ground level you can see another building with windows. I think that is one of the school rooms that were moved across the street to the location of 680 N. Slocan, the house I grew up in. The house is still there along with one other that was identical to ours, right next door. Last time I was there, it was still the way it looked back in the 50s

By: Wendy Knowlan SinclairSmith

Wendy Knowlan SinclairSmith — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 03:08:01 +0000

Contact me if you like. I do have a photo of our house to share

By: Wendy Knowlan SinclairSmith

Wendy Knowlan SinclairSmith — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 03:05:41 +0000

Correction regarding the remaining foundation is needed. The foundation that still remains was the orphanage and never was part of Juvie. We lived across the street at 680 N. Slocan. We played on and around the foundation from 1955 and would climb the trees surrounding Juvie looking over the fence. Our house and the 2 to the south on Slocan we were told, had been the school rooms of the orphanage, moved over after the orphanage was closed. We lived there until the 70s. One of the houses remains to this day as it was back then.

By: Thomas Roberts

Thomas Roberts — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 17:45:26 +0000

Interesting piece Eve.
Thank you once again for an entertaining Saturday morning.

By: Aaron Chapman

Aaron Chapman — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 05:46:38 +0000

Hello Eve, thanks for the mention of The Last Gang in Town in your blog post here on the old Juvenile Detention Hall.