Last week’s blog on Kitsilano featuring Bruce Stewart’s photos, brought back memories and a healthy does of nostalgia from those of you who were lucky to have known Kits in the ‘70s.
In this week’s blog I’m delighted to bring you photos from Angus McIntyre, Gord McCaw, Peter Dobo and a couple more from Bruce, interspersed with your comments.
Says Angus McIntyre: “Sam Angel the “Mattress Man” was across the street. He paid for the first New Year’s Eve free rides in 1974, and got his name on the front of every bus.”
“This view was taken in the mid-1970s as the City of Vancouver converted street lighting from incandescent (on the left side of the street) to mercury vapour (on the right side),” says Angus. “This shows how the night time appearance of the city changed. But little did we know what was in store a few years away- the scourge of orange sodium vapour lighting.”
Music:
“I spent a lot of time in Kitsilano in the late 60s and through much of the 70s. I was there the July day when the Grateful Dead, who were in town for a three-day gig at Dante’s Inferno on Davie, were about to play a free concert near Engine 374 at Cornwall and Yew,” says Mark. “A couple of bands played first, then the neighbours complained about the noise, the cops showed up and the Dead, who’d been hanging around for an hour waiting to play (I stood next to Jerry Garcia, watching as, seated on a picnic table, he give guitar tips to a number of aspiring players), took off along with the rest of us, disappointed.”
“Mom and John lived on the top floor of 1872 W. 3rd. They had the Hippogryff Store beside the Stuart Building on W. Georgia & Stanley Park at the time. I moved down to live with Mom in 1967,” says William who was 10 at the time. “I had all the freedom I could wish for, it was a pretty magical time.”
The Beach:
“I used to live in Kits Point at 2080 Creelman Ave., a duplex with view of Kits Beach with all the beautiful people depicted in Bruce Stewart’s photographs,” says Thomas. “The bakery on Yew and Cornwall with all the wonderful breads and pastry and all the great restaurants along Yew and Cornwall. Lifestream was the melting point where you always met someone you knew. Saturdays we went to the only liquor store up on West Broadway to buy a gallon bottle of Calona wine (tasted horrible) and to find out where the parties were happening. Life was truly beautiful.”
Landlords:
“In 1969-70, I lived at 2nd and Arbutus in an old wooden, three-storey house basement suite. I was 16 yrs old. The landlords were two ‘eccentric’ brothers Percy and Wes. They were retired, and Wes had worked for the CPR. They were hoarders, and there was canned food stacked everywhere,” says Nick. “The house was full of valuable antiques. Percy gave me a WW2 German Navy flag with the Swaztika on it. I gave it to a collector neighbour in East Van whose son was a friend of mine. Do you remember that HUGE rock that sat on the S.E. corner of 4th and Arbutus? The hippies used to sit on it.”
“I worked at the Lifestream warehouse. I used to pick up Peter in my VW van in White Rock and he would meditate on the floor during the commute to Richmond sometimes toppling over with sharp turns,” says Rob. “Lots of odd and funny hippy stories about the warehouse and the restaurant on 4th, my hangout. I’m still a health food freak!”
“I shot several photos of the Birkdale Apartments at 2235 West Broadway over a three year period,” says Gord McCaw. “There was an artists’ colony there and they decorated it in a few different incarnations.”
Bulletin Boards:
Says Bruce: “It appealed to me as it seemed like a one-stop ‘shopping’ setup: notices for everything from experimental theatre, cheap accommodation, yoga, clown workshops, spiritual healing, you name it! And, a place to rest one’s bones and pick over the free merchandise, on offer (the Fourth Avenue Free Box).”
“The Lifestream billboard. It was our internet,” says Will.
Says Jennifer: “It was like Tinder for hippies before social media.”
“I worked at CFUN in the early ’80s,” says Elizabeth. “A regular sight was the local guy with a big boat of a car, who had replaced front and back bumpers with flower boxes and always had his goat in the back seat.”
Related:
- Kitsilano in the ’70s: a photo essay
- The Nanaimo to Kitsilano Bathtub Race
- The Kitsilano Laneway House
- Kits Point and the Summer of 1923
- The Royal Hudson in Kitsilano
© All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all blog content copyright Eve Lazarus.
12 comments on “More Photos of Kitsilano in the 1970s and ’80s”
Thank you.
Gord McCaw – Wonderful shot and recollections of the Birkdale Apartments. I remember when my wife and I were invited there for a ‘Fairly Formal Celebration of Something-or-Other’ where most would arrive in elegant evening attire as if going out for an evening of social dancing and cocktails! Back then it was nicknamed the ‘Ratdale’ by artist-in-residence, Bruce Barnard who dickied up the exterior with airplane parts, outrageous pink/purple clouds and such. I remember one couple arrived in a repurposed ancient limo with appropriately placed flags on either side of the hood, accompanied by a grand entrance welcome. Being right on the main drag, I recall many cars slowing down to get a better look at the evolving madness! Fun stuff.
Sorry to have missed out on that shindig…
Yes, I was also at said event. Bruce was such a creative guy and fun to spend time with.
[…] More Photos of Kitsilano in the 1970s and ’80s […]
I love my kits photos born in kits just off Broadway and Blenheim I remember some crazy Greek days and your photo of that guy on the roof of my market Bayview was the reason it got sit down.So much drunken crazyness but sure makes for some great memories.thanks for the memories.lol .Chris
those pictures are amazing. First lived above the pizza joint on Broadway and Trafalgar, eventually moving to W. 2 behind the Safeway with an ocean view. Moved there in 1970, when I was 20. That off ramp, really brings back memories. Had a mini austin 1000 and used to come down that ramp well over the speed limit. Went to the Greek Days. The bakery was fabulous, a block up from the beach. Think it was named Elsies. There were a number of actors, musicians living in the area and you could walk even to downtown over the Burrard St. bridge. Remember when Andre Molnar started building condos in the neighbourhood. should have bought then. oh, well, was having too much fun and there were a number of weed dealers which made it an ideal neighbourhood. There was a bar on 4th where the sibling would go with their room mate. Guys would challenge them to darts. The sibling was so good, they didn’t take money., they played for drinks and she won.
life was fabulous and fun
Don’t forget that the Andre Molnar condos were later found to be part of the Leaky Condo Crisis that enveloped (sorry for the pun – it was usually a failure of the Building Envelope that caused the leaks) the Lower Mainland.
I lived in that apartment block on W4th and Fir in 75 on the second floor
Bedroom window was under the ramp
We would jump out the window onto the roof of the garage and then jump down to the alley where Brad and Greg’s Moto Guzzi’s were parked
Denise Dobson – I believe my cousin Lois (‘Lotus’) lived in that apartment, which was clearly visible from the bridge off ramp, around the same time.
I remember visiting her, walking up those rickety stairs on the outside of the building as the cars whizzed by overhead! She is now ‘Ruby’, living in Larkspur/Mill Valley doing horoscopes for rock musicians!
Does anybody know the stories behind signs attached to two buildings in Kitsilano:
1) “Jung Str. – Est. 1968” – small sign (currently partially obscured by graffiti) attached to the side of an older building at 1952 West Broadway, now the location of West Coast Tropical Bird Studio
2) “Lirio House” – house at 3520 West 10th Avenue – there used to be a lot more “stuff” attached to the outside of the house – maybe it used to be a clubhouse or local hangout?
Not a car person but that looks like a 1998 Toyota sienna in the yew and Arbutus shot. But love these articles and photos. Brings back memories.