The Vancouver Aquarium opened on June 15, 1976. Before that there were two other locations at English Bay and Hastings Park.
Hastings Park:
The first Vancouver Aquarium opened in Hastings Park around 1913. I stumbled over this while on Murray Maisey’s excellent blog Vancouver as it Was. According to a Vancouver Daily World article from 1910 that Murray found, it would not be: “a dinky little pool with some tame goldfish swimming leisurely around, but a real concrete aquarium with a glass front and all the fixings big enough to keep sharks.” By 1941, the aquarium was gone, its former digs renamed the museum building, and it became the first home of the Edward and Mary Lipsett collection. The collection was part of a display at the PNE that year and has been with the Museum of Vancouver at Vanier Park since 1971.
English Bay:
The second aquarium opened in the English Bay Bathhouse in 1939. This was totally confusing to me until I found the Vancouver Archives photo (above) that showed the two early bathhouses together—the concrete one left of frame, housed the Aquarium just east of Gilford Street and was demolished in 1964. Our current art deco one is up the beach right of frame.
This lovely wooden bathhouse opened in 1906 and was demolished in 1931 when it was replaced by our current one. CVA 447-18, 1919
A guy called Ivar Haglund, who already operated an aquarium in Seattle, applied and received permission to open a Vancouver version in 6,000 square feet of bathhouse, down the stone stairs and just below the sidewalk. The deal was it would be a 10-year lease and the Parks Board would get 7 percent of the gross takings in the first year and 10 percent after that. Must have seemed like money from heaven in 1939.
Oscar and Oliver:
Ivar moved in “over 100 varieties of sea life” including minnows, smelts, skate, clams and crabs.” The star attraction were some seals and a couple of octopus named Oscar and Oliver (that were quietly replaced with other lookalikes after they repeatedly failed to survive in captivity). In 1966, a former aquarium cashier told a Vancouver Sun reporter that “the problem wasn’t obtaining the aquatic life, but simply keeping it alive.”
Ivar’s Aquarium closed in 1956, when our current one opened. I found this Vancouver Archives photo of the plaque taken in 1986 and situated just across from Morton Park. Have no idea if it’s still there.
- With special thanks to Murray Maisey and Neil Whaley
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18 comments on “The Vancouver Aquariums”
Was Ivar Haglund the same Ivar who had the Seattle restaruant Ivar’s Acres of Clams?
He was!
It’s kind of fitting that he also owned aquariums, I guess! He seemed to be quite a character from what I remember from his TV ads.
I can remember visiting the aquarium at English bay. I also remember another aquarium located at Hastings and Carroll near a discount store.It was tucked in behind a tiny park that is now part of the no go zone in the DTES.
Well, that’s interesting Doug! What do you remember of the one at English Bay? Do you think the one at Hastings and Carroll was privately run?
I can only remember being there and likely wishing to be at the beach. my mom and dad lived in the West End when I was born. I remember stables in a convent at Davie and Broughton. I remember the Englesea Lodge. Lots of childhood memories without much context
The Hastings St location probably was privately run
I remember visiting the Aquarium at Stanley Park as a kid. It was very cool, now in this age of enlightenment, I find it disturbing and would not support animals and sea life being held in captivity.
I remember when I first moved to Vancouver there were polar bears in the park. Happily those days are long gone.
In the 60s we used to see Ivar himself on late night TV from Seattle, advertising Ivar’s Acres of Clams!
That’s funny, he must have been quite a character. Will make a note to look into him for a future post!
Ivar’s Acres of Clams Restaurant on downtown Seattle’s waterfront at Pier 54 is still there, and I remember going there for dinner with some friends back in the 1970s. In the middle of our meal Ivar himself appeared in the dining room and came over to chat with us. After we talked for a few minutes, he said: “Dessert’s on the House!” He purchased Seattle’s iconic 1914 Smith Tower skyscraper, and kept the elevator operators. His motto was “Keep Clam”.
That’s amazing the restaurant is still there! Thanks Angus, I’m definitely going to research him more.
Yes, a vague memory of visiting the aquarium at English Bay as a young child. The only real memory is the aquarium area was dark with lighted tanks. Probably visited with parents in the 1940s.
I had no idea of any previous ones. My father, the Federal Director of DFO, Mining & Forestry for Pacific/Artic started the third one and hired Dr. Murrey Newman for curator contrary to the aquariums wikipedia’s report stating otherwise never spoke of any others. I again am saddened by the wonderful buildings that once stood in this city . The current concrete run down eye sore at E-Bay is an embarrassment as is the Second and Third Beach changing rooms, washrooms and showers with the Third beach one not even offering warm water.
My dad worked at the English Bay Aquarium , he could recite his entire sales pitch as his job was to bring in customers. He would have been around 16 years old.
I would have liked to have heard his spiel!
The one in Stanley Park may have been the first public aquarium. The one at English Bay was privately owned and I don’t know about the first one at Hastings Park. Interesting information on the first one! Thanks
I remember when they got an octopus at the old Aquarium. It was a big deal and was even in the newspaper if I recall. Sadly it didn’t last long in captivity.