Missing heritage

Our Missing Heritage: The buildings along West Georgia Street

by Eve Lazarus on November 8, 2014

From Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History

I came across this photo* of downtown Vancouver in 1924 while I was playing on Vancouver Archive’s site a few years ago. It took me quite a while to figure out what I was looking at. There’s the Vancouver Block sticking up in the background—you can see the familiar clock—but check out all those other amazing buildings: the Strand Theatre, the Birks Building and the Second Hotel Vancouver—all missing from our streetscape less than half-a-century later.

View all 15 comments

Tags Birks Building, City of Vancouver Archives, CPR, Eatons, Nordstrom, Scotia Tower, Second Hotel Vancouver, Telus Garden, the Strand Theatre, Vancouver Block

The Georgia Viaduct

by Eve Lazarus on September 27, 2014

The Georgia Viaduct knocked out a lot of buildings in 1971 including Hogan’s Alley and Vie’s Chicken and Steakhouse.

Urban Renewal:

The photo (above) was shot in 1971 and appears in Sensational Vancouver’s Walk on the Wild Side chapter to illustrate “urban renewal”—the City of Vancouver’s excuse for trying to demolish Strathcona and Chinatown.

View all 3 comments

Tags 209 Union Street, City of Vancouver Archives, Jimi Hendrix, Louis Mattlo, Nora Hendrix, Sensational Vancouver, Vie Moore, Vie's Chicken and Steak House

Mayor Gerry McGeer’s $20 Million Tear-Down

by Eve Lazarus on August 2, 2014

Mayor Gerry McGeer lived at 4812 Belmont Avenue in Point Grey between 1927 and his death there in 1947. At around 10:00 pm on June 17, 2022 the house burned to the ground. It was unoccupied and apparently under renovation after not getting a demolition permit.

Sixth most expensive listing:

As of August 2014, the property at 4812 Belmont is apparently the 6th most expensive listing in Vancouver.

1 comment so far.

Tags 4812 Belmont, Charl Spencer, David Spencer, L.D. Taylor, Mayor Gerry McGeer, Sensational Vancouver, Vancouver City Hall

Our Missing Heritage: The Theatre District

by Eve Lazarus on October 20, 2013

In 1913 Vancouver had a thriving theatre district that included eight movie theatres as well as stock theatres like the Pantages and the Empress——both completed in 1908.

Over the years we’ve managed to pretty well destroy all evidence of these theatres—the Capital, the Strand, two Orpheum theatres, and of course, most recently the Pantages Theatre at Main and Hastings that as Heritage Vancouver so succinctly put was “demolition by neglect.”

Theatre companies put on lavish productions at the Empress that called for sheep and horses on stage, as well as cars.

View all 12 comments

Tags Capital, Empress Theatre, Heritage Vancouver, Orpheum, Pantages Theatre, Strand

Our Missing West Coast Modern Heritage: what were we thinking?

by Eve Lazarus on September 29, 2013

2895 Newmarket Drive, North Vancouver:

“Steps to Edgemont Village – exceptional location! This three-bedroom Hollingsworth designed rancher has incredible potential to renovate or build new on this 8050 sq. ft. lot. Classic post and beam style w/open living areas including incredible gardens, a large private rear patio off the family room featuring a built in BBQ and a pond.

View all 19 comments

Tags 2895 Newmarket Drive, Edgemont Village, Fred Thornton Hollingsworth, Heritage register, post and beam

Our Missing Heritage — What were we thinking? (Part 1)

by Eve Lazarus on September 8, 2013

The Marine Building is one of Vancouver’s most treasured buildings, a gorgeous example of Art Deco. So why did we destroy our other one?

From Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History

The Devonshire Apartments, the Georgia Medical-Dental Building and the Marine Building were all designed by McCarter & Nairne architects.* The Devonshire was first, designed as an apartment building in 1923.

View all 13 comments

Tags BC Hydro building, Cathedral Place, Devonshire Hotel, Electra, General Post Office, Georgia Hotel, Hotel Vancouver, HSBC Building, Livestock Building, Louis Armstrong, Marine B, Marine Building, McCarter Nairne, Patricia Hotel, Paul Merrick, Pennsylvania Hotel, Rhea Sisters, the Georgia Medical-Dental Building, Walter Fred Evans

The Life and Death of the Englesea Lodge (1911-1981)

by Eve Lazarus on March 25, 2013

From Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History

On Sunday February 1, 1981 shortly before 9:00 a.m., George Wright, a 70-something caretaker was working at the Englesea Lodge when he spotted fire coming from the building’s basement storage area.

“There was a big boom and the fire rushed out at me.

View all 50 comments

Tags Don Bellamy, Englesea Lodge, English Bay, George Wright, Harland Bartholomew, Joe Fortes, Sylvia Courts Apartments, Sylvia Hotel, Vancouver Archives, William White

The Pantages Theatre

by Eve Lazarus on April 11, 2011

I took a drive past the Pantages Theatre at East Hastings and Main yesterday. It was pouring with rain and the Downtown Eastside looked even bleaker than normal, like something out of a Dostoevsky novel.

It’s hard to imagine that this skuzzy part of town was once the central business district, but go back a century and the Pantages was part of a thriving theatre district and downtown core.

View all 15 comments

Tags Alexander Pantages, Downtown Eastside, Edward Evans Blackmore, Heritage Vancouver, John Mackie, Sung Sing Theatre, Vancouver Street Directories

Click to read posts about:

Support

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Click to read posts about:

Support

Subscribe to Our Newsletter