Comments on: Frank Gowen’s Vancouver

By: Anthony Tasker

Anthony Tasker — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:32:01 +0000

Its interesting that a photo dated 1913 shows what looks like a finished second hotel Vancouver … I thought it wasnt finished until 1916 … Love to see more photos of this

By: smokeapuff

smokeapuff — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 05:04:53 +0000

Well done! Vancouver is one of the best places to live in the world. Food is delicious and people are cheerful and honest!

By: James RWH Magnus Hourston

James RWH Magnus Hourston — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 03:37:55 +0000

Missing fountain? The current one hails from the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1926 does it not?

By: James

James — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 03:34:21 +0000

What a find! Must have been taken from the top of the Sun Building! Seeing the spectacular second Hotel Van still makes me angry. Our Penn Station.

By: Susan Anderson

Susan Anderson — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 19:08:27 +0000

Hi Eve: Todays photos prompted me to suggest that SOMEONE starts collecting stories about the Alcazar Hotel. This needs to start now, and others may have already begun, and if so I’d just add myself to the list of those collecting stories. I am now 74, but when I was around 15, and attending the Vancouver School of Art, the group I hung out with spent their time in the Alcazar pub, and so did I. My dad knew, but not my mum. Over the years Ive seen many references to events and people at the Alcazar. Ken Belford died early this year, but Ken and I, when he was appointed to the province wide Treaty Negotiation Committee by Harcourt in 1992,quickly found common ground in our early life around that pub, and later he told some of those in emails over the years. John Armstrong is much younger than Ken or I, so his Alcazar period is more recent, but hes only 64 now…different period, but his stories bridge the gap period between the Alcazar and the Plaza. If you can think of someone who might be interested in collecting those stories let me know and I would do whatever needed. I just watch how people like me are disappearing ..If you have any idea who might be interested, or is already doing related work I would appreciate any connections you can make. Just as long as it gets started. I have time and some technical expertise, since although Im still working, much of what I do fits with this kind of a project………( years of whats more like “oral history” )
Feel free to send my information on, but not my cell number. If this suggestion is NOT something of interest, just tell me, and I will just collect what I hear, and see if someone else might be interested. As usual todays post got me thinking, so keep it up…

By: Brad Williams

Brad Williams — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 17:16:17 +0000

Love the photos and the history behind them. What a modern city it was one hundred years ago! Bikinis on English Bay were against the law, and not invented yet.

By: Mark Attisha

Mark Attisha — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 15:22:43 +0000

Another outstanding bit of research. Well done. Keep it coming!