Comments on: Our Missing Heritage: The Ritz Hotel

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:29:15 +0000

In reply to Lori Stromquist. The restaurant was called Erling's Bodega. I worked there in 1973 as bus girl and room service. I was in grade 11 and had 4 evening shifts a week. I earned union wages and was rolling in the dough back then! My grades at school weren't that good though. LOL!

By: Lori Stromquist

Lori Stromquist — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:30:30 +0000

In reply to Glenda Barnes. Great place ! In it's last years they changed the name to the Fabulous 50's. It was down stairs .. huge pub at the back and the lounge was upstairs as well as a restaurant I can not remember the name of

By: Lori Stromquist

Lori Stromquist — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:17:17 +0000

In reply to Peter Fillingham. The Fabulous 50's in its later years Was a great place

By: Eve Lazarus

Eve Lazarus — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:58:39 +0000

In reply to John De Luna.

I would have loved to have seen Vancouver in the ’70s. Here’s a little on Oil Can Harry’s https://evelazarus.com/thurlow-and-alberni-streets-then-and-now/

By: John De Luna

John De Luna — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 16:33:04 +0000

On or about 1975 I stayed at the Ritz for a week, while performing across the street at “Oil Can Harry’s,” what a Cool place.
My Band’s name was El Chicano… I could write a book on that week. I was sorry to hear about the Ritz, but what happened to Oil Can Harry’s or that building? Anyone know?

By: David Soloway

David Soloway — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:20:39 +0000

In reply to Skip Savage. My family onced Owened it in 70searly 80 Ritz hotel. My family s name was the soloway

By: Glenda Barnes

Glenda Barnes — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 04:54:14 +0000

In reply to Peter Fillingham. Omg was trying to remember the name of the club! I used to go there all the time! Thank you.

By: Ian Nigro

Ian Nigro — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 17:47:14 +0000

In reply to Eve Lazarus. Very Interesting. I recently acquired a shipping container ( very large old trunk) it has a shipping label on it to M. Birnbaum Ritz Hotel Vancouver from AN Beaver Fur Co. Spadina Ave Toronto. Did they sell furs in the Ritz Hotel? If so any idea years they did? Thank you!

By: Ellen Peers

Ellen Peers — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 02:52:42 +0000

In 1948 there was a flood in the fraser valley
So mom my brother, baby sister and I and maybe a nanny stayed in an apt my grandparents had in the “Ritz”. We used to play in the lobby when the nice night watchman was on duty. There was a whitespot beside hotel and we d watch the carhops waiting for them to drop the long trays that fit through the front windows of the cars.

By: George W

George W — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 13:53:46 +0000

Worked in the hotel cocktail lounge from 1969 to 1976. Was the largest cocktail lounge I ever worked in. It was a mad house Friday nights after they brought in 19 year old age limit.

By: Jim Embley

Jim Embley — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 04:35:02 +0000

Worked in the captain’s locker in 1958 .hotel was owned by colie hall. He. Also owned the Canucks in the PCL.

By: Peter Fillingham

Peter Fillingham — Fri, 06 May 2022 18:51:15 +0000

Does anyone remember the disco in the Ritz the loose caboose! It was downstairs, great place, this would have been in the mid to late nineteen seventies?

By: Murray

Murray — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 21:58:06 +0000

Thanks for this post, Eve. I hadn’t noticed it earlier. I LOVE the Selwyn Pullan shots at the start!
For more info on Mabel Springer (and others of her clan and of their circle), this post may be of interest: https://vanasitwas.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/the-remarkable-images-of-the-springer-album/

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 15 Dec 2018 21:02:21 +0000

In reply to Daniel Francis. How would they be abandoned? They are simply historical facts.

By: Wendy Banham

Wendy Banham — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 07:52:22 +0000

In reply to Gregory Melle.

The drinking age was lowered to 19 in 1970! I drank at the Ritz when I was – ahem – 16.

By: Casey Lazecki

Casey Lazecki — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 18:47:26 +0000

Thanks again for another great read, Eve. Love your stuff.

By: Daniel Francis

Daniel Francis — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 23:20:18 +0000

I am intrigued by Maurice’s point. According to Chuck Davis in his History of Metropolitan Vancouver the first white male born on the Inlet was Henry Alexander, son of Richard Alexander, manager at the Hastings Mill. Henry was born in 1873. Perhaps your Miss Springer was the first female. Anyway I agree with Maurice’s imputation that perhaps it is time to abandon these claims.

By: Anthony Maw

Anthony Maw — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 06:13:28 +0000

Yeah I remember walking through the Ritz Hotel on a Sunday afternoon while it was being demolished in 1983 despite being gutted of all furniture one could tell it was a once a very grand affair. (that was back in the day when construction / demolition sites simply had “Keep Out” signs and simple fences)

By: Maurice Guibord

Maurice Guibord — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 04:39:47 +0000

These stories about “the first white…” fascinate me. Europeans have “marked” their territory with these firsts wherever they have established themselves. This is the first I hear of Mabel Ellen Springer. I had encoutered in my research another “first white child born in Burrard Inlet” – Pierre Plante a.k.a. Peter Plant, born in Moodyville (later North Vancouver) to Pierre Plante, a French-Canadian from Trois-Rivières, who married in 1869 Ada Guinne, daughter of Supplien Guinne, one of the first settlers of Marpole, and granddaughter of Squamish Chief Khatsalahno, whose village was originally in Stanley Park. So really, Pierre Plante Jr. was a Métis, but since his mother could “pass”, both his native and French-Canadian roots were “disappeared”. In fact, given his attributed claim, he was selected as the carriage driver to Lord Stanley when the latter came to claim his newly-named park.
Re. the Ritz, I have a matchbook and cool swizzle sticks from that hotel. thanks for this very interesting post.

By: Gregory Melle

Gregory Melle — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 03:46:02 +0000

In 1973, I spent evening of my 21st birthday at the Ritz in the days when 21 was the legal drinking age. Before that age I did most of my drinking on Granville and Hastings Street in places that were less fastidious about asking a patron’s age.
While the Ritz was simply a beer parlour it seemed a bit — there is only one appropriate word — Ritzier.