[SumAznGuy]

I remember going to Ming's for chinese food.

And the pic of Pender street has the cars going one way in the opposite direction than today (westbound rather then eastbound).

You mean going one way as opposed to 2 way like it is today.

Also, I remember going to Mings back in the mid 90's as it was a drinking/Kareoke caberate (sp?) establishment.

[achiam]

Lots of you younger guys may just be drinking beer at karoake places these days, but Ming's Karaoke in chinatown was where i started drinking back in high school. The night manager at #9 restaurant these days (the tall guy) was the old manager there before it went under.

[maxx]

caberate (sp?) establishment.

hahahhaa.. Cabaret

[SumAznGuy]

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/flytrap_canada/hoho_old.jpg

http://www.whb.co.uk/socialissues/chicrowded.jpg

[fliptuner]

Sweet!!! Exactly like my Corolla on the bottom left.

I'm guessing late 70's?

[SumAznGuy]

http://www.fishbowlphotography.com/thennow.html

[MG1]

Yesterday, at the PNE, I went to the container art exhibit. One of the containers had photos of neon signs from around our fair city. It was weird to hear comments by older people my age. A lot of them were saying stuff like, "This isn't from Vancouver........" I could ID most of the signs. Oh well, I guess a lot of people back then never went downtown or Chinatown. Either that or they're just plain stupid. I know people who go through life without checking out their surroundings - got the blinders on. People like that are the first to get shot in war, 'cause they can't see the snipers in the trees or hiding around the corner.

Gotta love city lights, especially in the rain.

[skyxx]

Chinatown is dying down. It's not what it used to be like. Before T & T and local neighbourhood produce markets, Chinatown was Booming every weekend. It was always bustling with people. I remember when i was young, It was nearly impossible to walk around but now it's pretty quiet. Sad to see such an awesome place die down.

[SumAznGuy]

Chinatown is dying down. It's not what it used to be like. Before T & T and local neighbourhood produce markets, Chinatown was Booming every weekend. It was always bustling with people. I remember when i was young, It was nearly impossible to walk around but now it's pretty quiet. Sad to see such an awesome place die down.

When I get off work around 6ish, and cut through chinatown, most of the stores are closed or just finishing up closing. By 7, only a few restaurants remain open. Other than the night market on the weekends in the summer, there is no night life left in the chinatown area.

I remember driving through the chinatown area at 6 am in the morning back in 1998, and all you see is a few old ladies doing their morning walks, and a few crack heads looking to find a fix.

To be honest, I am quite surprised to see a waves coffee still open at night in that area.

A few reasons why chinatown has become what it is today include Richmond and other pockets of chinese style produce like Victoria and 41st. ave.
And the crack heads in the area.

[MG1]

Chinatown is dying down. It's not what it used to be like. Before T & T and local neighbourhood produce markets, Chinatown was Booming every weekend. It was always bustling with people. I remember when i was young, It was nearly impossible to walk around but now it's pretty quiet. Sad to see such an awesome place die down.

I was going to say Chinatown will never die, because it is historical, blah, blah, blah. But, Japantown is practically gone. In fact, I heard some saddening news the other day. I drove by Oppenheimer Park on my way to downtown. It was all fenced off. I asked my wife what the heck was going on. She told me Oppenheimer Park was under construction. That's why this year's Powell Street Festival was at McLean's Park. That wasn't the sad part. The Cherry Blossoms that were planted back in 1977 were Legacy Sakura. Here's the story.........

http://www.petitiononline.com/powell77/petition.html

http://www.greenclub.bc.ca/Chinese/Green_footprints/Culture_Appreciation/Japan/Cherry_Fest/memory.htm

No more cherry blossom festival???

[twitchyzero]

great thread
i'm super young compared to many of the old farts in here
i've lived in vancouver for the majority of my life and it's really nice to know how vancouver was like 30-40 years back.

Hopefully I can do the same about East-Van 30 years down the road..hope it wont be a shit hole by then

[Senna4ever]

I was going to say Chinatown will never die, because it is historical, blah, blah, blah. But, Japantown is practically gone. In fact, I heard some saddening news the other day. I drove by Oppenheimer Park on my way to downtown. It was all fenced off. I asked my wife what the heck was going on. She told me Oppenheimer Park was under construction. That's why this year's Powell Street Festival was at McLean's Park. That wasn't the sad part. The Cherry Blossoms that were planted back in 1977 were Legacy Sakura. Here's the story.........

http://www.petitiononline.com/powell77/petition.html

http://www.greenclub.bc.ca/Chinese/Green_footprints/Culture_Appreciation/Japan/Cherry_Fest/memory.htm

No more cherry blossom festival???
There was a tree that was planted last year. Sad to see them go.

[thumper]

When I get off work around 6ish, and cut through chinatown, most of the stores are closed or just finishing up closing. By 7, only a few restaurants remain open. Other than the night market on the weekends in the summer, there is no night life left in the chinatown area.

I remember driving through the chinatown area at 6 am in the morning back in 1998, and all you see is a few old ladies doing their morning walks, and a few crack heads looking to find a fix.

To be honest, I am quite surprised to see a waves coffee still open at night in that area.

A few reasons why chinatown has become what it is today include Richmond and other pockets of chinese style produce like Victoria and 41st. ave.
And the crack heads in the area.

well for us it was because of the price of parking going up and up, the crackheads who harass you for change, and all the good shops started to move out or close down. now it's mostly cheap chinese kitchenware or low-grade herbal medicine shops :(

[SumAznGuy]

well for us it was because of the price of parking going up and up, the crackheads who harass you for change, and all the good shops started to move out or close down. now it's mostly cheap chinese kitchenware or low-grade herbal medicine shops :(

I'm sure some people stopped going because of the cost of parking, but then again a lot of people use to bus it to chinatown. Overall, it's the fact that you do not need to go to chinatown to get the same things. The people who bus it to chinatown can just walk down the street and go to their nearby store and buy most of what they need. Even Save on and Superstore carries chinese veggies and other asian items like Hon's noodles.

For the people who drive, they can drive to Richmond and have dim sum before they go grovery shopping. And like you said, parking is free.

Because of the declining business, some shops couldn't keep up and closed, but some stores like Loks and Carley's and Sunrise are very busy. Other stores like Chinatown supermarket has enough business to stay open.

Heck, before you had to go to Chinatown to buy chinese buns, now T&T, Pine House, and other chinese bakeries make getting chinese buns easy.

[MG1]

The real reason behind the downfall of Chinatown is the introduction of casinos (sorry, not Skytrain). Before casinos, Chinese people got their gambling fix behind the fake storefronts of Chinatown. <------ inside joke for those who lived in Chinatown.

[thumper]

I'm sure some people stopped going because of the cost of parking, but then again a lot of people use to bus it to chinatown. Overall, it's the fact that you do not need to go to chinatown to get the same things. The people who bus it to chinatown can just walk down the street and go to their nearby store and buy most of what they need. Even Save on and Superstore carries chinese veggies and other asian items like Hon's noodles.

before we owned a car we used to bus to chinatown from coquitlam to do shopping. there was no T&T back then, or anything sort of chinese community in richmond. they only had time to make the trip once a week and the tons of groceries my mom would buy... i still remember being the runt kid/pack mule sitting on the bus lugging all those bags back home... so yeah thank god for the car! :thumbsup:

[SumAznGuy]

before we owned a car we used to bus to chinatown from coquitlam to do shopping. there was no T&T back then, or anything sort of chinese community in richmond. they only had time to make the trip once a week and the tons of groceries my mom would buy... i still remember being the runt kid/pack mule sitting on the bus lugging all those bags back home... so yeah thank god for the car! :thumbsup:

Haha. Me too. Don't know how my older brother got out of going as I was always the one that had to go on saturdays. I remember back then, $100 would buy a week's worth veggies for a family of 4.

[Lancerion]

Some randoms:

- Kingsway and 7th used to be a Chrysler dealership
- there was a GM dealership across from the old Coastal Ford location on Main
- second level of 1st ave marketplace was the China Can supermarket until T&T opened on the lower level. Future Shop used to be where Happy King is, then they moved next door to the dollar store location when Happy Date was opened
- Cassiar McDonalds had a great playplace at their previous location beside the Mark's Warehouse
- a Chevron was once on Rupert and 29th

[thumper]

can anyone remember if there used to be a VW dealership where morrey nissan just moved out of at the corner of lougheed/willingdon? i vaguely recall this, but all i can dredge up was that there used to be a texaco station there :confused:

[SumAznGuy]

Some randoms:

- Kingsway and 7th used to be a Chrysler dealership
- there was a GM dealership across from the old Coastal Ford location on Main
- second level of 1st ave marketplace was the China Can supermarket until T&T opened on the lower level. Future Shop used to be where Happy King is, then they moved next door to the dollar store location when Happy Date was opened
- Cassiar McDonalds had a great playplace at their previous location beside the Mark's Warehouse
- a Chevron was once on Rupert and 29th

The Chryslar dealership was where the new condo is now, on the south side of 7th ave.

Before the Futureshop moved into the second location, it use to be a Fields store.

Cassiar McDonalds was a shit hole. People use to use the washrooms to shoot up and there was a few times where they OD'd and passed out. They replaced the lights with black lights to try to make it light enough to see where you are pissing but too dark to shoot up.

On Boundry and Granview hwy, on the south east corner where the Vinny's hand car wash is, that use to be an exotic car rental place back in the 80's.

[thumper]

there used to be a drive-in movie theatre at the corner of gilmore/lougheed, which is now the gilmore skytrain station... if you look through the overgrowth, you can still see remnants of the old site :o

[SumAznGuy]

can anyone remember if there used to be a VW dealership where morrey nissan just moved out of at the corner of lougheed/willingdon? i vaguely recall this, but all i can dredge up was that there used to be a texaco station there :confused:

I don't remember the Texaco, but there use to be a gas station on the corner where the old Morrey Nissan use to be and across the street in the other empty lot was a cheveron.

As far as I could remember, that location was always a Morrey Nissan dealership. Hmmm....

[SumAznGuy]

there used to be a drive-in movie theatre at the corner of gilmore/lougheed, which is now the gilmore skytrain station... if you look through the overgrowth, you can still see remnants of the old site :o

Pics or it never happened.

I really can't imagine that. If I went there, what should I be looking for?
I'm quite curious now.

[MG1]

Pics or it never happened.

I really can't imagine that. If I went there, what should I be looking for?
I'm quite curious now.

It was there. When they closed up, I thought that was the last drivein theatre anywhere in the Lower Mainland. Of course, the one in Surrey was still there for the longest of time. It's no longer around, but another one took its place in Aldergrove.

I'll call up my old buddies and see if they could remember the name of the old drive in theatre. I remember going there a few times.

Edit: Cascade drive in........ opened up in 1946 (August) Closed in 1980. It is now the Cascade Village condominium site.

[Lancerion]

A few more
- Grandview Walmart was a Costco, and before that it was called Price Club
- there was a Saturn/Saab/Isuzu dealership across from Morrey Nissan where the new condos are
- before the international expansion of the airport, the parking in front was just one big ground-level lot instead of the multi-level lot now
- wasn't Bowmac ToysRus location a dealership before? I think it was Subaru, can't remember
- some already said BJ BMW on Boundary was some sort of a bakery facility, it was also a Ford dealership before BJ took over after being emptied for quite some time

[thumper]

- wasn't Bowmac ToysRus location a dealership before? I think it was Subaru, can't remember


partially correct. it was bow-mac cadillac/subaru believe it or not...

- some already said BJ BMW on Boundary was some sort of a bakery facility, it was also a Ford dealership before BJ took over after being emptied for quite some time

correct. wow that brings back memories... i think it used to be weston's. they used to have guided tours when that place was a bakery. we would get free loaves of bread to take home. then the business closed up, and then become zephyr lincoln-mercury(!), which also later went under, and now it's BJ.

[SumAznGuy]

partially correct. it was bow-mac cadillac/subaru believe it or not...



correct. wow that brings back memories... i think it used to be weston's. they used to have guided tours when that place was a bakery. we would get free loaves of bread to take home. then the business closed up, and then become zephyr lincoln-mercury(!), which also later went under, and now it's BJ.

Just before they closed, it was a Saturn dealership.

Weston bakery is still around I believe. They are owned by Galen Weston, the same family that owns Loblaws.

Zephyr Lincoln/Mercury moved to that location when they had to close the 7th ave location. That was when the Sport Mart and AMG was still on 8th ave.
So it turns out Zephyr didn't go belly up.
http://www.zeemac.com/40.html


After doing some research on Morrey Nissan, the old Saad dealership on the northwest corner of Lougheed and Willington was where Morrey Nissan first opened. Later on, they moved to the southwest corner lot.

[thumper]

Pics or it never happened.

I really can't imagine that. If I went there, what should I be looking for?
I'm quite curious now.
lougheed drive-in movie theatre. it was built in 1949. i can't remember when it closed... but the projector screen was still standing i think until sometime in the 80's before they tore it down.

argh i can't find any pictures. all i can find mention of it is this:

http://www.cinematour.com/tour/ca/986.html

and it's on one some of the later maps here:

http://www.revscene.net/forums/album.php?albumid=150&pictureid=1714

there are still patches of the original ashpalt and concrete in the empty lot which the gilmore station is on. dominion street did not exist back then so that corner was much larger than what you see now. the dominion bridge steel yards was right behind it, where you see dick's lumber and everything behind it is today.

[edit] 89blkcivic mentioned cascades. i don't remember that one as well, but it was in a different location further south. they existed around the same time and should be on one of the later maps in that link i posted above.

[thumper]

since we're talking about movie theatres... lougheed mall used to have their own theatres. it was where london drugs is now.

[SumAznGuy]

Thumper, your second link doesn't work.

[SumAznGuy]

The old Sun Sing Theater, in the Pantages Theater on Main st.
http://www.cinematour.com/picview.php?db=ca&id=18605

More Vancouver theaters, thanks for the link Thumper.
http://www.cinematour.com/results.php

[tonyzoomzoom]

I remember going to Chinatown to watch the honger movies back in the days: Golden Harvest on Main by Powell; Shaw on Hastings just east of Main and Sun Sing on just west of Main.

There was also the Princess (?) on Broadway by Commercial

And much later, the theatre in the old Aberdeen mall

[Ride]

I don't know if any of u remember when the Raja theater on Kingsway near Joyce across from the elementry school Carleton used to be called Haida Theater and it was a x rated theater, and when students used to patrol the crosswalk beside the the theater many a times they had reported to the principal about men jerkin it beside the cycle shop about 50ft from where the kids used stand to patrol.

[MG1]

[edit] 89blkcivic mentioned cascades. i don't remember that one as well, but it was in a different location further south. they existed around the same time and shoule be on one of the later maps in that link i posted above.

You're right, the Cascades was further south. Lougheed was the name of the one you pointed out earlier. Cascades was by Canada Way. I can't believe there are signs of the Lougheed Drive-in Theatre still. I'll have to go see for myself. I vaguely remember being able to see the movies from White Spot, which interesting enough is one of the last drive-in restaurants left.

[MG1]

I remember going to Chinatown to watch the honger movies back in the days: Golden Harvest on Main by Powell; Shaw on Hastings just east of Main and Sun Sing on just west of Main.



Golden Harvest. LOL. Friends actually made me go see some of those movies. Shaw when it first opened up was nice. It didn't take long for it to go downhill.

I don't recall Sun Sing. BTW, I saw a pic of the Lux theatre at the container art display at this year's PNE.

[thumper]

I don't know if any of u remember when the Raja theater on Kingsway near Joyce across from the elementry school Carleton used to be called Haida Theater and it was a x rated theater, and when students used to patrol the crosswalk beside the the theater many a times they had reported to the principal about men jerkin it beside the cycle shop about 50ft from where the kids used stand to patrol.

that's nasty.

again my memory is going bad, but i remember going there once as a kid, and it wasn't called the Raja back then... they were playing chinese movies at that time. i watched something called "the bride with white hair" i think :confused:

[thumper]

I can't believe there are signs of the Lougheed Drive-in Theatre still. I'll have to go see for myself. I vaguely remember being able to see the movies from White Spot, which interesting enough is one of the last drive-in restaurants left.

meh. don't expect much because you're gonna be disappointed. the last time i was there (had pulled over on the shoulder on lougheed because my friend was puking his guts out from drinking all night and fell into the bushes), it was just some leftover concrete in the overgrown area and some of the paved surfaces were still intact.

[thumper]

Thumper, your second link doesn't work.

crap. :mad:

how about this....

http://www.revscene.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=150&pictureid=1714

dammit i don't know how to rotate or resize it :flamemad:

[MG1]

meh. don't expect much because you're gonna be disappointed. the last time i was there (had pulled over on the shoulder on lougheed because my friend was puking his guts out from drinking all night and fell into the bushes), it was just some leftover concrete in the overgrown area and some of the paved surfaces were still intact.

Damn, I was hoping to pull out some wires from the speaker stands, LOL. It doesn't take much to get me excited. Just seeing the overall layout of the place will bring tears to the eyes.:D


What would really make me happy is a pic of the Lux Theatre. Not when it was a porn house, but when it was still in fairly good shape.

[MG1]

On my way back from Sophia Bookstore on Hastings, I drove by the Only Seafood. It looks like it is down for the count.

[thumper]

I remember going to Ming's for chinese food.


i remember going to ming's too... but i don't remember that huge sign at all. this would have been mid to late 70's for me though... there was a really cool waiter there who would give me a free coke (but i've been told it had something to do with stopping me from bawling all the time but i honestly can't remember heh ;) )

[K-Dub]

On my way back from Sophia Bookstore on Hastings, I drove by the Only Seafood. It looks like it is down for the count.
I keep putting off my visit to Only Seafood Cafe, hope you aren't right about this!

I get off around 530, maybe by the time I walk over they're still open for dinner.

[fliptuner]

I don't know if any of u remember when the Raja theater on Kingsway near Joyce across from the elementry school Carleton used to be called Haida Theater and it was a x rated theater, and when students used to patrol the crosswalk beside the the theater many a times they had reported to the principal about men jerkin it beside the cycle shop about 50ft from where the kids used stand to patrol.

Totally remember that place. Haida and the place by Main/Broadway were the only 2 porn theatres in E.Van in the 80's.

[SumAznGuy]

What would really make me happy is a pic of the Lux Theatre. Not when it was a porn house, but when it was still in fairly good shape.

http://vancouverneon.com/page_q/lux.htm

BTW, that pic of Grandville st. was from 1959 according to this site.
http://www.nonstopdesign.com/lost-vancouver.php

[MG1]

Totally remember that place. Haida and the place by Main/Broadway were the only 2 porn theatres in E.Van in the 80's.

Wasn't there one on Main St. near the Ivanhoe? Not that I went to these places.:haha:

[MG1]

http://vancouverneon.com/page_q/lux.htm

BTW, that pic of Grandville st. was from 1959 according to this site.
http://www.nonstopdesign.com/lost-vancouver.php

There were more than one White Lunch, then?

[SumAznGuy]

There were more than one White Lunch, then?

appearently so. I vaguely remember the one on Grandville st so the I have no memory of the one on hastings.

The old Venus Theater was an adult theater. They tore it down in 2007 and in it's place now is an apartment condo.

http://www.cinematour.com/tour/ca/463.html

[JulyZerg]

since we're talking about movie theatres... lougheed mall used to have their own theatres. it was where london drugs is now.

yeah when I was young, my parents took me there to watch Power Rangers Movie :) The one with ivan-ooze or some shit hahaha

AWESOME theatre :D but too bad it closed down :( sigh

[Ride]

Here's some pictures in the 50's and 60's from Fred Herzog
http://www.equinoxgallery.com/artists_index.asp?artist_type=1&artist_id=121

[Senna4ever]

Granville @ Robson 1980's:
http://www.nonstopdesign.com/fredherzog/Granville_Street.jpg
I was right. This photo was taken in 1959.

[thumper]

yeah when I was young, my parents took me there to watch Power Rangers Movie :) The one with ivan-ooze or some shit hahaha

AWESOME theatre :D but too bad it closed down :( sigh

admittedly it was a bit dingy, especially after metropolis opened up at metrotown, people just stopped going there. i remember watching the first batman movie the first day it was out there, and they still couldn't fill the seats :o

[SumAznGuy]

admittedly it was a bit dingy, especially after metropolis opened up at metrotown, people just stopped going there. i remember watching the first batman movie the first day it was out there, and they still couldn't fill the seats :o

Does that mean we can blame it on the skytrain? ;)

[Senna4ever]

admittedly it was a bit dingy, especially after metropolis opened up at metrotown, people just stopped going there. i remember watching the first batman movie the first day it was out there, and they still couldn't fill the seats :o

You mean the second Batman movie. ;)

[MG1]

I was right. This photo was taken in 1959.

Sennasan, you have to go out there and take as many photos as possible, so in 50 years, your work can serve as a reference point like Mr. Herzog's.

Pics of people, places, events, skyscapes, etc.

Anyone have historic pics of Powell Street? Between Main and Dunlevy, to be exact. My old neighbourhood.

[thumper]

You mean the second Batman movie. ;)

oops did i screw it up? the one i remember seeing was the jack nicholson/joker version.

the old brain ain't what it used to be as i stagger slowly to senior citizen status :cry:

[thumper]

chuck-e-cheese off lougheed hwy in coq. near lougheed mall. i had at least one birthday party there. i remember playing dragon lair for the first time there! they have been long-gone for awhile now... but i think the building is still there. not sure what it's being used for now.

[SumAznGuy]

chuck-e-cheese off lougheed hwy in coq. near lougheed mall. had at least one birthday party there. i remember playing dragon lair for the first time! they have been long-gone for awhile now... but i think the building is still there. not sure what it's being use for now.

That's funny. I was just talking to the wife about this place. We were trying to remember where the old building was. She said it was closer to the white spot and I thought it was closer to the WalMart.

[thumper]

That's funny. I was just talking to the wife about this place. We were trying to remember where the old building was. She said it was closer to the white spot and I thought it was closer to the WalMart.

hmmm.... closer to white spot and that shell station at the corner of lougheed/north rd. for sure because walmart is way over on the other side of lougheed mall.

anyone remember woolco?

[thumper]

Weston bakery is still around I believe. They are owned by Galen Weston, the same family that owns Loblaws.


i just got corrected by the "old-timer" at work... he says it was sunbeam, not weston's.

[Senna4ever]

oops did i screw it up? the one i remember seeing was the jack nicholson/joker version.

the old brain ain't what it used to be as i stagger slowly to senior citizen status :cry:
Yeah, the first Batman movie was the campy 60's one.

[Senna4ever]

chuck-e-cheese off lougheed hwy in coq. near lougheed mall. i had at least one birthday party there. i remember playing dragon lair for the first time there! they have been long-gone for awhile now... but i think the building is still there. not sure what it's being used for now.

Dragon's Lair was awesome!

....and when did Chuck E Cheese shut down?

[thumper]

Does that mean we can blame it on the skytrain? ;)


oh no not you too! :lol

[thumper]

Dragon's Lair was awesome!

....and when did Chuck E Cheese shut down?

i can't remember... i keep thinking it was in the late 80's.

there is still one left in langley somewhere.

[SumAznGuy]

i can't remember... i keep thinking it was in the late 80's.

there is still one left in langley somewhere.

I saw one in Mexico when I went to Puerto Vallarta.

I remember being at Chuck E cheese in the late 80's but I can't remember which building it was in.

[SumAznGuy]

hmmm.... closer to white spot and that shell station at the corner of lougheed/north rd. for sure because walmart is way over on the other side of lougheed mall.

anyone remember woolco?

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=49.2472,-122.893485&num=1&t=h&sll=49.117856,-122.668683&sspn=0.247276,0.532253&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=49.247127,-122.892551&spn=0.001271,0.002237&z=18

So this should be where white spot is. Which building was Chuck E cheese?

Never mind.

It's now called Jolly Genies.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=Jolly+Genies+Pizza+%26+Playpark,+(604)+421-8408&ie=UTF8&ll=49.248545,-122.894713&spn=0.001271,0.00427&t=h&z=18

[!e.lo_]

damn.. since im a young-gun (20), i dont have anything to really contribute..
but thanks for the insight! it's really helpful to know how the city you live in came to be.

i've been in the suburbs since kindergarten, so i dont have memories of dt van at all...
i kinda of remember chinatown, which i doubt has changed all that much...

[skyxx]

^ It has, It's so quiet now and certain shops have closed.

[K-Dub]

I keep putting off my visit to Only Seafood Cafe, hope you aren't right about this!

I get off around 530, maybe by the time I walk over they're still open for dinner.
Sigh, I walked by today and read the sign, they've been closed by the health board since March.

=[

On a happy note, Save On Meat Coffee Shop (http://www.604foodtography.com/2009/02/28/save-on-meats-coffee-shop/) is still there. Wonder how the burgers are now that there's no meat shop right there?

[MG1]

^ It has, It's so quiet now and certain shops have closed.

I bet all the gambling places behind the shops are all but gone, too.

[thumper]

hm gonna try to make this thread veer slightly off course... does anyone remember minnam racing? when they used to be a small storefront on kingsway near boundary?

[tofu1413]

i used to go to chinatown when i was a kid.. its just not the same anymore.. not lively.. not colorful.. very dead nowadays

[SumAznGuy]

hm gonna try to make this thread veer slightly off course... does anyone remember minnam racing? when they used to be a small storefront on kingsway near boundary?

I made a post about that but no one replied. I feel so sad now.

This was back in the early 90's, and they were located in the mini-mall where the Subway is just before Samosa Garden.

Now, does anyone know where the Minnam's old Dyno is? I know Eurosport had it at one point in time.

[fliptuner]

What about Supra GT on Hastings and Jackson(?). The guy had a hard on for early 70's Corollas.

[MG1]

What about Supra GT on Hastings and Jackson(?). The guy had a hard on for early 70's Corollas.

I bought a few things from him. Stuff took forever to show up. Nice enough guy. Biggest beef I had was the place he sent me to have things installed (Installation was inclded in price). Wing Fai Motors on Powell street. Those guys had no idea what they were doing. They went out of business... wAnder why? They're under a new name now or possibly changed ownership.

[thumper]

What about Supra GT on Hastings and Jackson(?). The guy had a hard on for early 70's Corollas.

i always thought that there was another supra gt in n.van somewhere? :confused:

there used to be another shop near the intersection of clarke and hastings... i can't remember the name though. i remember paying too much for piaa stuff there... if you young kids out there complain about prices today, you should have seen what it was like 10-15 years ago :o

[thumper]

Now, does anyone know where the Minnam's old Dyno is? I know Eurosport had it at one point in time.

i thought one of the local shops took over the lease for that thing? :confused:

[thumper]

Sigh, I walked by today and read the sign, they've been closed by the health board since March.


it's been closed by the health board and you still want to go back?!?

[SumAznGuy]

I drove by the Hastings location of Supra GT and it looks like they finally closed up shop. I've bought a few things from them too, without install. Back in the day, their prices weren't too bad.

Correction, looks like they moved to another location as a google search shows them being on Kingsway now.

Yes, they also had a N. Van location. It is really close to the industrial parks just off of Marine Dr. I'm thinking it might have been Llyod st.

[thumper]

Yes, they also had a N. Van location. It is really close to the industrial parks just off of Marine Dr. I'm thinking it might have been Llyod st.

my friend says i've been there with him before (looking for a front lip spoiler for his then-new 200sx :o ) but it's not coming to me. dingy wood paneling, old stock tires, and an impressive window display collection of enkei and riken wheels from the 80's maybe?

[SumAznGuy]

my friend says i've been there with him before (looking for a front lip spoiler for his then-new 200sx :o ) but it's not coming to me. dingy wood paneling, old stock tires, and an impressive window display collection of enkei and riken wheels from the 80's maybe?

And don't forget the Ronal wheels too. But Enkei's might be a bit too new for them.

And of course all their great winter tire/wheel combo ads in the chinese buy & sell.

[thumper]

I made a post about that but no one replied. I feel so sad now.

really? oops... missed that :rolleyes:

[tonyzoomzoom]

What about Supra GT on Hastings and Jackson(?). The guy had a hard on for early 70's Corollas.

Was Supra GT on Commercial (somewhere around Napier) before they moved to Hastings St? I kind of remember they were nearby another garage called KM Racing (or something like that). I remember the KM guys had a 320i with square headlights.

I used to go there in the early 80s

[?NR]

I bought a few things from him. Stuff took forever to show up. Nice enough guy. Biggest beef I had was the place he sent me to have things installed (Installation was inclded in price). Wing Fai Motors on Powell street. Those guys had no idea what they were doing. They went out of business... wAnder why? They're under a new name now or possibly changed ownership.

Wing Fai is gone. They are now Superstar on Bridgeport Richmond.

[?NR]

The old Sun Sing Theater, in the Pantages Theater on Main st.
http://www.cinematour.com/picview.php?db=ca&id=18605

More Vancouver theaters, thanks for the link Thumper.
http://www.cinematour.com/results.php

there was Sun Sing, Yuen dong (Far East), Loong Sing (Broadway & Comm.), Aberdeen.. i think I missed one though which is Golden Harvest... i think..

[K-Dub]

it's been closed by the health board and you still want to go back?!?
It's one of the three places on Hastings I wanted to try. The other two are Save On Meats, Ovaltine Cafe.

The place is old man, it doesnt even have a washroom, back then it wasnt a regulation/requirement for a restaurant! I'm not surprised, I walked by a couple times before, but I was never in the mood to eat or the time wasn't right.

[Spaceship_coupe]

I drove by the Hastings location of Supra GT and it looks like they finally closed up shop. I've bought a few things from them too, without install. Back in the day, their prices weren't too bad.

Correction, looks like they moved to another location as a google search shows them being on Kingsway now.

Yes, they also had a N. Van location. It is really close to the industrial parks just off of Marine Dr. I'm thinking it might have been Llyod st.

Close...The Supra GT in North Van was on Pemberton and Welch and Harrison ran the shop.

I wonder what they did with all those old wheels, IMO it'd be a gold mine for an old school lover like me.

[welfare]

The southeast corner of Fraser & 33rd used to be an A&W Drive-In Diner...

And another Safeway used to be at Knight and Kingsway, which of course turned into a flea market for many years, before finally being turned into the King Edward Village condo complex...


haha. wtf? i grew up on 24th and knight. across the street from safeway. that tv store on the corner used to be a corner store.

I'm not that old but yeah here goes.

First is my elementary school Charles Dickens. I left this elementary school in 1999 I think?? It was a really nice school with about 500 kids. This school was one of vancouver's oldest buildings ever being built in 1912. Thats right it was built before World War 1 even started lol. Now it no longer stands there because it was torn down due to the fact that it wasn't a safe building if an earthquake ever hit. It was more cost effective for them to build a new school.

heres what the school used to look like
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1219/1281096846_43d5dde3d8.jpg

As for the new school you can see it. The address is 3351 Glen Dr. I can't find any pictures of it online.


Also I'm pretty sure that quite a few of you remember when station square used to be the place where all kids hung out? It had famous player movies that didn't have stadium style seating. This meant that if a really big person or someone with a huge ass afro sat in front of you, you would have to move seats lol. There's bubble tea and karaoke as well. Most importantly who could forget Johnny Zee's ?!? This place was so busy before metropolis, playdium and famous players silver city came along. Oh yeah and who could forget playdium. haha one of the best arcades that I have ever been to because they had some pretty wicked games. Like the ferrari racing game although it was hard as hell, DDR on a huge ass screen, and you could choose to have unlimited plays for an hour. Only crappy part was that they didn't really bother to maintain their equipment.

Now station square is pretty much a ghost town and playdium doesn't even exist anymore.
oh shit. yeah, i went to dickens too. well, first annex then elementary. wicked school. mr rooney was the principal. i didn't like him much at all
yup. life was good. the nintendo entertainment system came out and rocked the hell out of atari/gemini/colecovision. the commodore 64 was astonishing
i'm gonna read some more of this later.

[welfare]

and oh yeah. 21 jumpstreet was awesome

[MG1]

Do any of you remember 1967?

Bobby Gimby and the Confederation Train. I think every elementary kid in Vancouver went on a field trip to see the train at the CN Station. It was a huge success. We also got a commemorative coin and some other trinkets. Bobby Gimby was there playing his custom made herald trumpet - studded with all kinds of jewels. So cool. We were so proud to be Canadians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18-oRTLIe3I

[synchrocone]

To the OP, this a really nice thread. It conjures a lot of imagery and really gives you a good appreciation of Vancouver history. I find it really interesting to visualisizing so many kids in a school when I could remember only maybe 15students in our class one year in 87-88. I can remember somehow getting into Capitol 6 with my buddy to watching the original Predator, then coming home to watch Ron Hextall and his big stick against the Oil that year.

Random thoughts:

Kids nowadays living sedentary lifestyles really seems to be getting worse comparing it to when i was a kid.

Ive read recently that the UK is having the same problems. For instance, games like tag, british bulldog, climbing trees are being phased out as they are considered too dangerous and too much of a liability to recess supervisors and school officials. Skipping rope usage is also reported to being near its death bed as well. Its not looking good, my friends.

I remember playing British Bulldog was one of the scariest things to do as it got pretty violent a few times in grade three but the recess supervisor never stopped us from doing fun things. Looking back nobody really seriously got hurt badly. Bob, or "Bobator" the recess monitor was a pretty nice guy, maybe too nice..

Anyone remember Halloween in Vancouver when firecrackers were a bigger thing? I remember hearing about going near Ho-Hos in Chinatown to get them. It was a pretty good year not even being able to see more than 50feet because of all the smoke and having two garbage bags of candy, hehe.

I really enjoyed your stories on your child labour experience before times changed. Im going to have to read more of this later.

[trd2343]

Is there any recommendation for a book of the overview of the history of Vancouver? I am not looking for a book with lots of details, but it highlights the major events that took place and shaped Vancouver into what it is today.

[MG1]

Is there any recommendation for a book of the overview of the history of Vancouver? I am not looking for a book with lots of details, but it highlights the major events that took place and shaped Vancouver into what it is today.

A good book about the history of Vancouver would be nice. The history books I've come across are just raw information, which is OK, but I would also like to find out how it was like to be there. I like reading about how families made it through the war or through tough times. I came across a good book at the library about the Japanese Internment Camp ordeal as seen through the eyes of a child - what she could remember and how she felt about it. History like that is great, because it puts you right there. History with a personal touch.

As for kids nowadays, I guess it's not their fault. Our world is so different now. Kids cannot go outside and play stick ball or hockey till 10 at night in the city. Actually, you cannot do it anywhere, from what I hear. Even in small towns, there are weirdos.

Sorry, my response is a little off.......

[CorneringArtist]

As for kids nowadays, I guess it's not their fault. Our world is so different now. Kids cannot go outside and play stick ball or hockey till 10 at night in the city. Actually, you cannot do it anywhere, from what I hear. Even in small towns, there are weirdos.

Sorry, my response is a little off.......

I hear you. I used to play street hockey with the kids in my complex when I was 10, seven years ago. We sometimes went until like 9 or 10, and the only thing stopping us were parents and cars that had to pass by the playing area. But now, no one even thinks about playing, they're all too busy either doing nothing (like myself, and I outgrew street hockey), or just play on the playground and big field in the center of the complex.

[welfare]

people can do whatever they choose to. society is so paralyzed with fear nowadays. we're all so conscientious. everything needs to be prevented. it's really taken the fun out of life.
so go ahead; eat your trans fats, drink out of the water hose, play your british bulldog until the late hours. everything in moderation. you only live once. i don't understand the whole reasoning behind prolonging the whole thing to that point

[MG1]

I find it really interesting to visualisizing so many kids in a school when I could remember only maybe 15students in our class one year in 87-88.

Yeah, Strathcona back then was huge. I cannot imagine how they kept everybody together. No e-mail between teachers. I don't even recall there being telephones in classrooms like they have now.

Anyway, Strathcona had some really cool teachers back then. My favourite teacher was the music teacher. Mr. Theo Goldberg. He's now Dr. Goldberg. I hear he's still alive. Anyway, I met him later on in life at UBC of all places and he still remembered me. He's a prof with the UBC Music Education Department. Back when he was my grade 4 home room teacher, he drove a green (I think) Mustang. He was so proud of it that he used it as often as he could in his lessons (don't ask how). He drew a picture of it on the board and tied it to who knows what music lesson. Fond memories include him getting us to play and sing the greatest hit of all time (so we thought), "Windy". Dr. Goldberg was always into leading edge technology - synthesizers and all kinds of electronic gadgets. He had this neat electronic board that had the musical staff etched on it. It was touch sensitive and played back the note you touched on the board. Thinking about it now, it must have been way ahead of its time. He also created a school musical based on a famous old Chinese song. The musical was called Flute Island and it involved a huge amount of kids. That man really made a huge impact on me. Rumours were he had something special in the back of his classroom. Only a few people ever saw this thing. My wife actually remembers what it was......... a small still. LOL. He was brewing something back there. Hey, it could have been water, you know. He wasn't the science teacher though. And no, it wasn't a coffee maker, either.

Another great teacher was Mr. Giuriato (I hope I got the spelling right). I can go on forever with these teachers, but there was one scary teacher all students at the school feared. I'm not going to say her name, because just mentioning it name gives me the creeps. She was like the Cruella De Vil of Strathcona. She had tonnes of make up on and smoked like there was no tomorrow. She was tough on the boys. Almost like she hated men and wanted to destroy all signs of maleness in us. Her favourite move was to literally drag boys down the hall and to the office by their ears. Granted most of us skinny Asian boys weighed 45 pounds soaking wet, but I never thought ears could hold that much weight. She favoured the girls. She always had her favourite girls go to the store to buy her cigarettes and chocolate bars.

Corporal punishment. Yep, it was rampant back then. I think they put an end to corporal punishment, because the principals were having way too much fun hurting kids.

Of all the pranks I pulled at school, I never got caught. Never got the strap, except by mistake. I used to go home for lunch, because lunch hour was just that - one hour. One day I got back to school to see a whole bunch of kids crowded around the entry way. A female teacher was screaming at the kids. She was like losing it. Being curious, I made my way to the front to see what was going on. All I heard then was, "You, you, you, and you (pointing at me) come with me!" Apparently, nobody opened the door for her. Back then, that was a sign of disrespect. So here I was following a bunch of other boys on the way to the office. The principal gets out the leather strap. Crap, I remember that thing to this day. It was huge and not like a belt. It was solid with a cross pattern on the leather surface. Up to that point, I had only heard scary stories about the strap. We were told not to move our hands, because if the principal missed, he would give you the strap twice. All of us prayed he would not miss and hit us square on the hands. The last thing you want is for him to get just a little piece of your hand like your pinky. We all tried to be tough and held our tears back, but it hurt so much tears automatically ran out. "Now let that be a lesson to you!" I remember him saying. We apologized to the female teacher and went immediately to the washroom to try and wash the pain away. I recall the mark that was left on the palm of my hand.

Remembering further back, I recall a very nice lady. She had a very weird name, perhaps Mrs. Fong-Dickman? She was Asian, I think and was one of the Kindergarten teachers at Strath. She was so nice to the kids. I remember being sick one day. I ended up barfing all over her shoes and feet. I thought she was going to scream, but she calmly took her shoes off, wiped the stuff off her feet and continued to rub my back to make me feel better. Kindergarten was so neat. It was an all day Kindergarten. It had to because most of the mothers in the neighbourhood worked. I remember nap time. Man, was it good. We went to our cubby and pulled out our pillows and blankets. We slept to the teacher's singing. I rarely slept, but it was very relaxing. I think we should all have nap time at work.

Anyway, this post is getting way too long.

I wanted to tell you a story about my first love when I was in grade three. She was a native girl who I thought was an Indian princess. So naive and innocent back then.

[skyxx]

^ Bhahahaha Awesome story man. Oh did you have any crush on teachers? :lol.

[MG1]

^ Bhahahaha Awesome story man. Oh did you have any crush on teachers? :lol.

No, they were all ugly as sin. And, older than the hills. Strathcona was like where teachers went to before retiring. Asians give no trouble kind of thing.

There were, however, some young male teachers who broke many a young girls' hearts. LOL.

Mr. Ponak. I remember the girls going gaga over him. He was clean cut and wore nice suits.

[thumper]

Was Supra GT on Commercial (somewhere around Napier) before they moved to Hastings St? I kind of remember they were nearby another garage called KM Racing (or something like that). I remember the KM guys had a 320i with square headlights.

I used to go there in the early 80s

might have been KM auto. i think we are thinking of the same shop. had that awning in the front with the multicolor stripe on it... but i thought it was on clarke not commercial :confused:

[tonyzoomzoom]

^^^ you're right on. It's Clarke not Commercial.

[thumper]

^^^ you're right on. It's Clarke not Commercial.

but i never got to see the bmw... i only saw the 16v scirocco with the euro lights.

[SumAznGuy]

Coming back from the US today, I saw 3 old school BC Electric buses driving down the highway with Vintage plates. One bus said 1949 on it, and the other 2 buses looked even older.

I guess they might have been at the Langley car show today.

I'll try to upload the pics tonight, but they are of poor quality taken with my E71. =(

Here are some pics I found online.
http://slackeye.com/index.php?page=62&tp=2

http://www.trams.bc.ca/index.html

[K-Dub]

More about Mr. Giuriato. My french teacher was Giuriato, but somehow I don't think this is the same Giuriato guessing from how old you are.....

[cunninglinguist]

Was Mr. Giuriato the teacher who renewed his wedding vows each year and told stories of "Stregga"?

[MG1]

More about Mr. Giuriato. My french teacher was Giuriato, but somehow I don't think this is the same Giuriato guessing from how old you are.....

That's probably his son. You'd be surprised at how many teachers come from a family of educators.

[MG1]

Was Mr. Giuriato the teacher who renewed his wedding vows each year and told stories of "Stregga"?

Sounds like him. Semi bald and a huge nose. Fairly tall and thin. His eyes always sparkled and he loved teaching. He wasn't that old, so he probably stayed at Strath for quite some time.

Do any of you younger Strathcona types remember the in house dentist? Mrs. Cunningham. I mentioned in one of my earlier post about how miserable she was. When you think about it, anyone would have lost it having to work with so many Asians and their crooked teeth on a daily basis. LOL.......... sorry, that was bad.

[MG1]

School life was great back in those days. We had so many things to do during lunch hours. When it rained, we had the covered play areas - the basements. I remember the ceilings being low and the lighting was poor. Four square, cards, and dodgeball were favourite games. The play areas were segregated. Boys on one side of the bulding and girls in the other. I remember the elephant stampede. Some of us crazier boys would run into the girls play area with our pockets pulled out of our pants and our penises sticking out.... elephant stampede. Hilarious. Supervision must have been hard at Strath, because there were so many hidden hallways and corridors in those old buildings. We got a way with all kinds of shit. I remember being on the third floor of the senior building. I think I was in grade 6. Our homeroom was at the southeast corner of the building. We dropped waterbombs on people (balloons filled with water). Since it was a corner, we had a good vantage point. We could see people coming from both sides. One day, the look out person was not doing his job, because just when we dropped one, the VP came around the corner. The water bomb hit the intended target, but also got the VP wet. The VP was a really old dude. I think his name was Mr. Warkentin. He knew who we were and he came up the stairs. We thought we were dead. He let us go, but not without giving us one of his "deadly" stares. Which was funny, because it wasn't scary at all. We just played along and pretended to be uber scared. It made him feel powerful. LOL. During weekends, we played roller hockey at the school. Most of Strathcona was blacktop. Around the building in between the buildings - all smooth blacktop. It was great. Some of us were really good skaters considering the kind of skates we used. I think my mom still has a pair of those old metal skates put away somewhere. You wore the skates over your shoes/runners. No matter how many kids were out there with skates, keys were always in demand. Most kids either forgot to bring them or lost them. I could always count on my sister, because she never lost hers. Do they even make skates like that anymore? Most of the kids just slammed their runners into the skates and that seemed to work. My skates always came apart and I had to tighten them all the time.

[thumper]

oh noes this thread is silent...

more slightly off topic stuff: SR racing, back in time, used to be a small little store front in a strip mall off no.3 rd (roughly where the canada line aberdeen station is now) next to a karaoke place (i can't remember the name). they used to do installs under a covered bay where the dumpster is parked... so yeah they've come up a long way.

or how about worksport performance on cambie? it used to be in the same complex where mini richmond is now. they also had a small satellite storefront in parker place.

[Senna4ever]

For the people that grew up near the PNE in the 80's/early 90's: Remember the hole in the fence that was hidden by the big pine tree along Hastings Street? You couldn't see the hole from either the inside or outside because of the branches that grew out through the fencing - you had to go in the tree to access the hole. BAM! Free PNE admission! :D

[rb]

Not really Vancouver history as its more tri-cities but here's some stuff on the Westwood Motorsport Park, which is now just a housing development aka Westwood Plateau.

Some of the track still kinda exists today, which you can still checkout.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=723f3f48-888a-4b77-95fa-9cc29fb8fb13

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westwood_Motorsport_Park
http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/Features/stories/canadaspioneer.html
http://www.westwood50.org/

http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/Features/westwood_ariel.jpg
http://img.geocaching.com/cache/37caba0f-4341-42f7-af27-48f04516e62f.jpg

[AzNightmare]

too bad this thread doesn't have pictures.
Like a picture of the same landscape throughout the decades so we can see the changes.
That would be really cool

[Tapioca]

As for kids nowadays, I guess it's not their fault. Our world is so different now. Kids cannot go outside and play stick ball or hockey till 10 at night in the city. Actually, you cannot do it anywhere, from what I hear. Even in small towns, there are weirdos.

Sorry, my response is a little off.......

Heck, I'm only in my late 20s and even I had the joy of playing street hockey until the late hours of the night in the summertime.

I'm going off on a tangent, but I honestly don't think the world is any more dangerous now than it was back then. We just didn't have a 24-hour news cycle and the internet to 'scare us' into thinking that there was a sexual predator lurking around every corner. I remember encountering weirdos on the streets back then, but like most kids, I simply ignored them or ran away fast if I felt too threatened. It's ridiculous that kids have to be dropped off at school if they only live 3-5 blocks away. I walked to school when I was 5 years old and I never came close to being run over by a car, nor did I ever have some shady character ask me to jump in their car for a ride.

I honestly hope that when my peers start having children that we can raise children the way that we were raised. Honestly, the possibilities of anything really bad happening to a child if left unsupervised are astoundingly small - the statistics favour parents.

[SumAznGuy]

oh noes this thread is silent...

more slightly off topic stuff: SR racing, back in time, used to be a small little store front in a strip mall off no.3 rd (roughly where the canada line aberdeen station is now) next to a karaoke place (i can't remember the name). they used to do installs under a covered bay where the dumpster is parked... so yeah they've come up a long way.

or how about worksport performance on cambie? it used to be in the same complex where mini richmond is now. they also had a small satellite storefront in parker place.

SR racing was beside VOX karaoke. The old store front is approximately at the south end of the station.

Worksport was in the old building, where the McDonalds is now. Of course, that building was torn down and replaced with the McD's.

[InvisibleSoul]

Heck, I'm only in my late 20s and even I had the joy of playing street hockey until the late hours of the night in the summertime.

I'm going off on a tangent, but I honestly don't think the world is any more dangerous now than it was back then. We just didn't have a 24-hour news cycle and the internet to 'scare us' into thinking that there was a sexual predator lurking around every corner. I remember encountering weirdos on the streets back then, but like most kids, I simply ignored them or ran away fast if I felt too threatened. It's ridiculous that kids have to be dropped off at school if they only live 3-5 blocks away. I walked to school when I was 5 years old and I never came close to being run over by a car, nor did I ever have some shady character ask me to jump in their car for a ride.

I honestly hope that when my peers start having children that we can raise children the way that we were raised. Honestly, the possibilities of anything really bad happening to a child if left unsupervised are astoundingly small - the statistics favour parents.
Yeah, it's pretty fascinating how this whole universal feeling of insecurity has been instilled in our society now compared to 20 years ago.

I'm about the same age as you, and yeah... back then, it seems like all the kids walked to school on their own. I swear I remember when I was like four years old, before I was in school, I would walk the couple blocks to elementary school on my own to pick up my older brother... :lol

[skyxx]

THREAD REVIVAL! I don't have anything to say but I just can't see this thread die.

[SumAznGuy]

It used to be one of three buildings there. That's when the PNE was huge. BC sports Hall of Fame..... is it and the huge ass BC Relief Map still around somewhere?

That map was the work of one man who, piece by piece, put that map together. It was massive. They had this moving walkway that held 50 or so people up high that swept across the map.

http://www.challengermap.org/home.htm

They just talked about the map on the news. Looks like part of it found a new home.

[CP.AR]

I'm nowhere near "old" - only 20, but have some random stuff to share mostly in Richmond...

Remember when the lansdowne Future Shop used to be across the street (beside what is now sport mart)? Hell they had the craziest TV display on the back wall, thinking back - I wonder how much electricity they used to run that display? As well, parking there was 10x as bad as it is now...

In that same area, I very clearly remember Hazelbridge way being a single lane road, with nothing but a 4-way stop on the Alexandra (McD) intersection. It was smooth sailing, no crazy drivers, no congestion.

London Drugs used to be where No.3 Staples is right now - again, that entire area was congestion free ALL THE TIME.

Oh yeah... one thing I am sure everyone misses - a construction free, pothole free, No.3 road.

That's all I can think of now!

[MG1]

Ah.......... Richmond. I recall quieter times too. My buddy owned a stereo shop in Times Square. Two doors down from Canton Wunton House, my favourite hole in the wall. They are now in South Richmond. They are called Danny's Kitchen, IIRC. Best curry brisket on rice and decent wunton.

I haven't been anywhere near Times Square. I gather Kerrisdale Cameras is gone too.

[skyxx]

Oh yeah... one thing I am sure everyone misses - a construction free, pothole free, No.3 road.

That's all I can think of now!

It was also 10x bigger, smoother, and C-Lai free....

Anyway, back on topic. Anyone remember how their Christmas/New years went. I remember Vancouver being more spirited in a sense compared to today. It could just be me but I'm pretty certain it's not what it used to be when it came to christmas.

[MG1]

I really miss Woodwards this time of year. Those window displays in the old downtown store during Christmas were awesome. They were awesome when I was a kid and they were just as awesome when I saw them later on. Fucking progress.............

[!Nhan]

I'm not as old as some of you guys, but do you guys remember when milk was availble for sale in plastic bags? I remember going to buy them and then putting it into a plastic container.

Anyone remmeber Mr. Ho's on Kingsway in Burnaby? I don't think it's related to the Ho Ho's they have now, but that place was awesome went there at least once every other week.

I remember at the old aberdeen right down the stairs from the chinese theater they had this dessert place I think it was and they had the best grass jelly ever. They had this statue of a turtle or something out fron and the place was just amazing.

I miss the old chinatown. Going there every saturday with my parents and being able to walk around and not have to worry about the junkies and what not.

What I missed the most was Gold Stone. They had the best house special spaghetti and I have yet to find a place that was as good as theirs. :(

[triplexcel]

Hah I remember those old milk bags. I was only a couple yrs old though.
But yah. Chinatown use to be swarmed with people and I couldn't even get through them even as a kid. What has vancouver turned into?
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[thumper]

I'm not as old as some of you guys, but do you guys remember when milk was availble for sale in plastic bags? I remember going to buy them and then putting it into a plastic container.

i remember this. toss the bag into the container and cut a corner off the top of the bag and pour... we used to get door to door milk deliveries from dairyland this way.

[hal0g0dv2]

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1580/van2010logo.jpg

[MG1]

i remember this. toss the bag into the container and cut a corner off the top of the bag and pour... we used to get door to door milk deliveries from dairyland this way.

And you had to cut it right or else it dripped down the side and into the holder. They came in bags of three.

Milk delivery from Dairyland when I was a youngster was the glass bottles. I remember my mom putting tokens on top of the used bottles and placing them outside the door. I guess each token meant one bottle. The milkman carried those metal crates as he did his rounds in the apartment block. I think they had only one kind of milk and butter. Not sure how they do it nowadays. Probably on-line orders.

[Spectre_Cdn]

I'm nowhere near "old" - only 20, but have some random stuff to share mostly in Richmond...

Remember when the lansdowne Future Shop used to be across the street (beside what is now sport mart)? Hell they had the craziest TV display on the back wall, thinking back - I wonder how much electricity they used to run that display? As well, parking there was 10x as bad as it is now...

In that same area, I very clearly remember Hazelbridge way being a single lane road, with nothing but a 4-way stop on the Alexandra (McD) intersection. It was smooth sailing, no crazy drivers, no congestion.

London Drugs used to be where No.3 Staples is right now - again, that entire area was congestion free ALL THE TIME.

Oh yeah... one thing I am sure everyone misses - a construction free, pothole free, No.3 road.

That's all I can think of now!

And not so long ago, Lansdowne Best Buy used to be a Safeway. The current Future Shop used to be Zellers, which moved to the other side of the mall. Near Gingeri, there used to be a huge playcentre sort of like those McDonald's kids areas but 10x bigger (forgot what it was called). There was also an Eaton's, with a restaurant upstairs where Zellers is now. After Eaton's closed, that space was a GM showroom for a while... no salespeople just full lines of GM cars in the mall. Winners used to be a computer store.

In Richmond Centre, there used to be a Zellers where Sport Chek is now, with a Kernels and Pet Habitat next door where Old Navy is now.

Around Christmas time, there was also a free trolley bus (like the Stanley Park trolleys) that went from mall to mall, including the old Aberdeen.

Almost every bus in Richmond used to go to downtown Vancouver because there were no dedicated Vancouver buses.

Other than the malls... there isn't much I can remember. Oh and there were NO CONDOS in the city centre 16 years ago.


Ah.......... Richmond. I recall quieter times too. My buddy owned a stereo shop in Times Square. Two doors down from Canton Wunton House, my favourite hole in the wall. They are now in South Richmond. They are called Danny's Kitchen, IIRC. Best curry brisket on rice and decent wunton.

I haven't been anywhere near Times Square. I gather Kerrisdale Cameras is gone too.

Kerrisdale Cameras is still there.

[MG1]

Getting away from Richmond for a while, I drove down Kingsway a few times not too long ago. I rarely go west on Kingsway past Commercial, but I had to recently because my mother-in-law was in VGH for heart surgery. Anyway, I noticed some huge changes to that stretch of road. So many Vietnamese businesses. Unbelievable. I think they're Vietnamese. Nothing wrong with it - just overwhelming. Kind of like Hastings Street in Burnaby being Euro and Commercial Drive being Italian/Hippie/Enviro.

One of the main reasons why I moved back closer to Vancouver from the Valley. The cultural diversity. You can be whoever you want to be and feel relatively comfortable. Everything from gay, Rustifarian <sp?>, Black, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, etc. Just not Calgary Flames fan, LOL.

[Gumby]

Corner of No. 3 Rd and Westminster, where London Drugs and TD Bank currently are, used to be a Safeway. When Safeway moved/closed, the library moved into the old space temporarily while the Brighouse branch was being constructed.

[MG1]

Kind of surprised nobody has mentioned Steveston. It has changed a lot too.

[mazdaboi]

Ahhhh Richmond.....

Anyone remember Richmond Square? Now that was the worst mall ever.... and they had that small ass movie theater beside it. Then they tore it down and built Richmond Centre.

Growing up in Richmond, my favorite hang out spot was Lou's market (now One Stop Convenience) on No 3 and Francis. Used to go there every chance I got to play Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat!!! Now that brings back lots of memories....

[InvisibleSoul]

I'm not as old as some of you guys, but do you guys remember when milk was availble for sale in plastic bags? I remember going to buy them and then putting it into a plastic container.
You know what, they're still available in some parts of Canada... don't know why they went out of style here in Vancouver.

[MG1]

Holy bejeezus........ I just found out from my wife that Woodward's is open again. WTF? Why didn't anyone here tell me? I would have skipped work to be at the opening. My wife also knew about this and didn't tell me. Damn useless wife.

Sister-in-law brings a jar of Woodward's crunchy peanut butter today for Christmas dinner and I thought holy shit, that jar looks like new. I look at the expiry date and it says May of 2011. WTF? I ask and find out the place has been open for a few weeks.

Same downtown location. Holy carp......... fuck Boxing Day sales, I'm heading to Woodward's. I hope they're open. I even heard they had $1.49 day already. I am so happy they are open again. Probably not the same, but carp this is good news.

[Blinky]

While we're on the topic of oldskool retailers, you gotta remember the REAL retailer that brought the smack down on Boxing day: A&B!

I was cleaning out my parent's garage earlier this year and saw some crazy stuff from the mid 80s... $1000 speakers going for $150, $500 computers (remember this is the 80s!), crazy shit like $20 for 20" tube TVs that were actually decent. This is the REAL stuff that people used to line up for. Back then, it was more electronics than toys and clothes and all this other retail.

Now we have the drivel that FS pawns off on as as "doorcrashers". They're not.

I still remember the downtown row of electronic/music retailers - A&B and Sam The Record Man were on Seymour... the A&B on Hastings and the one on Marine. Not that long ago that they closed down, either... but the heyday of A&B was long, long ago.

[JulyZerg]

A&B was intense! I still remember lining up at the one by PNE with my mom and her brothers on Boxing Day in the cold! I was like 4-6yr's old. It was so packed and crowded, the line extended all the way around and stuff...however I was clueless as to why we were lining up in the cold..:haha:

[MG1]

A&B Sound was the king of Boxing Day sales. Truly legendary. The last one they ever had was awesome. They gave away vouchers to the first 5 people in the line up worth 50% off every CD/DVD in the place up to $200.00 after the discount. I went by the Langley location 15 minutes before they opened up at 9 AM and I was the third one in line. That's how sad it got. I spent right up to the limit and bought, among other items, DVD-Audio discs that were already 50% off.

[SumAznGuy]

Holy bejeezus........ I just found out from my wife that Woodward's is open again. WTF? Why didn't anyone here tell me? I would have skipped work to be at the opening. My wife also knew about this and didn't tell me. Damn useless wife.

Sister-in-law brings a jar of Woodward's crunchy peanut butter today for Christmas dinner and I thought holy shit, that jar looks like new. I look at the expiry date and it says May of 2011. WTF? I ask and find out the place has been open for a few weeks.

Same downtown location. Holy carp......... fuck Boxing Day sales, I'm heading to Woodward's. I hope they're open. I even heard they had $1.49 day already. I am so happy they are open again. Probably not the same, but carp this is good news.

The grand opening of Nester's Market was on Dec 8. They spent $80K on media coverage that day.
I was there for the grand opening and it was nuts. There were tons of older folks who heard about the grand opening on the news and took the skytrain downtown. Some of them were telling stories about how they worked at Woodwards when they were younger.

In the store, they have tons of pictures and old ad flyers from way back in the day.

[MG1]

SO it's called Nester's Market......... hmmmmmm....... I guess they couldn't call it Woodward's. They use it as their house brand?



EDIT: just gogled Nesters. The name came back to me. Saw pictures of the place. Looks nice.


Thanks, SumAznGuy. I'll make an effort to go see the place.

[SumAznGuy]

Nester's is part of Buy-low which is one of Jimmy Pattison's many companies. They used the Woodwards as a selling point, I guess, but in reality other than the location, they have nothing to do with the old Woodwards.

And there is also a London Drugs across the hall from the Nester's.

Inside this hallway, they have a picture from the 1971 (?) downtown riots.

I just got home from Brentwood mall and noticed there was a plaque on some pillar near the Sport Mart. It said this is the location of the old Jack Cullen music store. 1972-1979.

Interesting. Would love to hear more about it if anyone know's anything.

[MG1]

I just got home from Brentwood mall and noticed there was a plaque on some pillar near the Sport Mart. It said this is the location of the old Jack Cullen music store. 1972-1979.

Interesting. Would love to hear more about it if anyone know's anything.

Wow, Jack Cullen. I used to listen to the Owl Prowl on CKNW. After his show at around 1 am, I'd listen to the old radio shows (who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows........)

Simpler times

[Gnomes]

Holy crap, Nostalgia! I watched 1st Ave market "plaza" during the construction. I cant remember what was in that 1st ave market before it was constructed. I used to have fun at the safeway by Broadway Skytrain station. Arcade games and coffee. I used to take a sugar cube everytime I walk by there.

[Windstar]

Circuit Circus is now in Burnaby near Kingsway Waltson (think thats how you spell it)
I remember their used to be an awesome little store, kind of like 7-eleven on Victoria and 41st. Then 7-eleven replaced it, and now its replaced by a coffee and vitamins store.

I was wondering, do they still have chinese dragon dancing on victoria and 41st on chinese new years?

[Lomac]

Not sure if anyone has posted this yet, but how about the Mountain High Racing track in Westwood? Canada's first purpose-built race track!

http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/Features/westwood_ariel.jpg

[skyxx]

^ Page 9. But I'll forgive you since you're a mod ;)

[ziggyx]

haha. wtf? i grew up on 24th and knight. across the street from safeway. that tv store on the corner used to be a corner store.


oh shit. yeah, i went to dickens too. well, first annex then elementary. wicked school. mr rooney was the principal. i didn't like him much at all
yup. life was good. the nintendo entertainment system came out and rocked the hell out of atari/gemini/colecovision. the commodore 64 was astonishing
i'm gonna read some more of this later.

haha I was there when mr. rooney was there also! My teachers were ailsa and joan.

[CP.AR]

And not so long ago, Lansdowne Best Buy used to be a Safeway. The current Future Shop used to be Zellers, which moved to the other side of the mall. Near Gingeri, there used to be a huge playcentre sort of like those McDonald's kids areas but 10x bigger (forgot what it was called). There was also an Eaton's, with a restaurant upstairs where Zellers is now. After Eaton's closed, that space was a GM showroom for a while... no salespeople just full lines of GM cars in the mall. Winners used to be a computer store.

In Richmond Centre, there used to be a Zellers where Sport Chek is now, with a Kernels and Pet Habitat next door where Old Navy is now.

Around Christmas time, there was also a free trolley bus (like the Stanley Park trolleys) that went from mall to mall, including the old Aberdeen.

Almost every bus in Richmond used to go to downtown Vancouver because there were no dedicated Vancouver buses.

Other than the malls... there isn't much I can remember. Oh and there were NO CONDOS in the city centre 16 years ago.




Kerrisdale Cameras is still there.

Computer place in Lansdowne was called "Compucenter", which was actually owned by Future Shop, so when they eventually closed down they had no sale whatsoever, all the remaining stock was then sold across the street at FS. From what I recall it was a bit like "Fry's Electronics" in the states, but watered down.

That playplace in Lansdowne was called "Bonkers" - one of my friends held his birthday party there once; it was great :p

Kind of surprised nobody has mentioned Steveston. It has changed a lot too.

Remember when Moncton street wasn't flooded with townhouses on the side, and when there was NO traffic there whatsoever (free parking too)

Not so much steveston but... IRONWOOD mall and COPPERSMITH mall brought that entire area up (the Steveston Hwy + No.5 road area)

Oh yeah, and remember when Playdium planned to build a new facility next to Kwantlen? (OMG I WAS SO HYPED)

[MG1]

Remember when Moncton street wasn't flooded with townhouses on the side, and when there was NO traffic there whatsoever (free parking too)

That all changed when some of the residents figured out they could subdivide their properties and make a killing. Actually, more like the whole area got rezoned. Municipality wanted more tax money. Whatever the case, the place has lost its character. Not the tourist area, but the neighbourhood.

Didn't know Compucentre or is it Compucenter was owned by FS. There used to be one in Metrotown. I think where The Source (Radio Shack) is.

[Senna4ever]

There was also a Compucentre (I think) on the north east corner of Georgia & Seymour.

[Grandmaster TSE]

i miss the chinese theatres they use to had
the 1 in the old aberdeen and the 1 that use to be on commerical and broadway

[versep]

My dad told me lansdown mall used to be an airport

[SumAznGuy]

Didn't know Compucentre or is it Compucenter was owned by FS. There used to be one in Metrotown. I think where The Source (Radio Shack) is.

I remember going there to look at the video games knowing full well my parents didn't have the money to buy me one.

I remember some video game system called the Jaguar that was super expensive back in the early 90's.

[MG1]

Nester's is part of Buy-low which is one of Jimmy Pattison's many companies. They used the Woodwards as a selling point, I guess, but in reality other than the location, they have nothing to do with the old Woodwards.

And there is also a London Drugs across the hall from the Nester's.

Inside this hallway, they have a picture from the 1971 (?) downtown riots.

I just got home from Brentwood mall and noticed there was a plaque on some pillar near the Sport Mart. It said this is the location of the old Jack Cullen music store. 1972-1979.

Interesting. Would love to hear more about it if anyone know's anything.

Speaking of Nester's. I didn't know about them until the Woodward's thing, then the other day my daughter mentions a place opening up in Univercity up by SFU Mountain. It's also a Nester's.

BTW, what ever happened to Thumper? Looks like he disappeared off the face of this cyberplanet.

[SumAznGuy]

Speaking of Nester's. I didn't know about them until the Woodward's thing, then the other day my daughter mentions a place opening up in Univercity up by SFU Mountain. It's also a Nester's.

BTW, what ever happened to Thumper? Looks like he disappeared off the face of this cyberplanet.

Nester's first store was up in Whistler. Then they got bought out by JP and now they have 10 stores I belive, and the SFU one is going to be their new flagship store.

FYI, the SFU Nesters grand opening was this past thursday.

[MG1]

FYI, the SFU Nesters grand opening was this past thursday.

Yeah, saw that on Friday in the Burnaby newspaper, which is supposed to come on Wednesday. Fucking delivery person...... always late by a day or so.

So, any idea what happened to thumper?

[MG1]

Just read the thread about a Bokken sword and Mikado was mentioned. Mikado Enterprises used to be further down Hastings. A few doors west of Gore Avenue. They were into the ship chandling business exclusively at that time (60's and early 70's). I guess with the world changing, their business had to focus on other things. Interesting that they went into the martial arts business, as I don't recall any of hte owners being into that. Come to think of it, one of the owners was into Kendo.

One of the wives of the owners there was the prettiest Japanese ladies I have seen. Not only that, she was super nice and elegant. She must have come from a well to do family, because she was so refined and proper (jyohin).

Anyway, I hung out there and played with the two kids who were my age. They lived somewhere in the west end, from what I recall, but went to Strathcona Elementary. I guess it was more convenient. Nice guys they were. After graduating from Strath. I never saw them again. The old storefront was in the same block as the post offfice and fire hall No. 2. I remember playing in the alley with them every Saturday and watching the firefighters practice and hone their skills. The post office on the corner must have been the busiest one in all of Vancouver. Packed with Asians sending their mail and parcels back home.

I guess Mikado moved from their original location because of the conditions of the building. It was run down and full of cockroaches. Man, did they have huge cockroaches there. Cockroaches were a common thing in Chinatown, but the ones I saw there were like on steroids.

I really should drop by Mikado and see what the place is like and say hi. The last time I went there, about 8 years ago, they still had Japanese food and sundries. I drive by the place every so often now and it looks like the place has nothing but martial arts equipment.

[borabora]

Check out this vid i found


YouTube- Traveltalks - 1936 Victoria And Vancouver: Gateways to Canada

[SumAznGuy]

Drove down Hastings today and noticed this.
http://www.rickshawtheatre.com/

I didn't know they sorta cleaned up the old place and have been open for a while.

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/the-rickshaw-theatre-vancouver

[SumAznGuy]

I know this was posted in another thread on RS, but it's a start of what I found on youtube.

YouTube- Early Vancouver

YouTube- Vancouver Streetcars

YouTube- 1920's Home movie of Vancouver, Seattle & Portland

YouTube- The old Woodwards

time for bed for me. I'll add more tomorrow.

[BLITZ2k1]

I was watching an old episode of 21 Jump Street, the show was filmed Primarily in Vancouver in the 80s and early 90s, I would remember seeing the film trucks around town as a child. Anyways, was watching this episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvsnuY-UI6A&feature=related

and was wondering if this was the racetrack up on westwood plateau?

[MG1]

Holy carp, almost a year ago post. Proves nothing on the Internet dies.

Back to the post....... yes, it sure looks like Westwood. So long ago. Good find.

[skyxx]

Can't let this thread die. It's best if every member read it. :)

[MG1]

Can't let this thread die. It's best if every member read it. :)

Thanks, skyxx, it would be nice if RS members, who's family have been here for many generations, took the time to talk to their parents/grandparents about their experiences living here in Greater Vancouver and share those stories here.

My father never said much about the past before he passed away, but then again, I never bugged him about it. I'm sure he had many stories of how life was like back in his day - whether it be about the Chinatown Riots, racism, police conduct towards immigrants, the war days, trying to fit in, etc.

As mentioned by others, personal experiences tell much more than just the plain facts you read in the papers or see in the news reels.



EDIT: any history/accounts from the South Asian community would be nice - 49th and Main didn't happen overnight.

[Meowjin]

I've been talking to alot of older generation vancouverites who show alot of resitment and hate to the new immigrants coming here. Guess it's a great benefit of joining the ymca.

[fliptuner]

Resentment?

Yeah, I can understand why and I'm sure a lot of people agree.

[Meowjin]

the resentment is coming from older immigrants if that helps.

[fliptuner]

Not surprising. I'm sure a lot of them feel that they had to earn their place, fit in and make something of themselves to provide for their families and many new immigrants don't have the same struggle.

[SkinnyPupp]

One thing I noticed about all this old footage is that almost nobody is fat :eek:

[AWDTurboLuvr]

I remember as a kid, Richmond Square (now Richmond Centre) was a dumpy mall, with Fields and Zellers as some of their landmark stores...getting malts at the Little Drummer Boy stall in there was a treat that my mom would sometimes let me have or the Orange Julius just outside the Field's store there.

The Bamboo Grove used to be a small dining room and coffee shop, not the Chinese restaurant. Also, Sea Harbour on No.3 used to be some tiny Chinese restaurant with a small take out window on the side. Where Daimasu is was a tiny Honda dealership..where you could buy lawnmowers and an Accord hatchback.

Richmond sure did grow up.

[MG1]

I kind of recall the Honda dealership. It was where the Acura dealership is now, am I right?

When my dad used to moor his fishing boat at Paramount (BC Packers), there was nothing between Richmond city and Steveston. Steveston Highway from 99 to Number One was nothing but swamp. Nothing but dirt roads.

BTW, what the hell is the Brighouse in Richmond? My dad used to talk about the brighouse. What's the history behind it? I did quick search on google and it says some town in England. I know what a brig is. So, there was some kind of prison in Richmond?

[fliptuner]

BTW, what the hell is the Brighouse in Richmond? My dad used to talk about the brighouse. What's the history behind it? I did quick search on google and it says some town in England. I know what a brig is. So, there was some kind of prison in Richmond?

This should help. I'm sure there are Brighouse schools, libraries, parks, etc though.

http://www.richmond.ca/cityhall/archives/exhibits/schools/boomers/brighouse.htm

[MG1]

Not surprising. I'm sure a lot of them feel that they had to earn their place, fit in and make something of themselves to provide for their families and many new immigrants don't have the same struggle.

Or it could be because the new immigrants don't give a flying fuck about Canada? Perhaps bringing unwanted hate toward the Chinese? I can see that. The Chinese who have been in Canada for a while have come a long way in earning the respect they enjoy. I think they feel the new generation of Chinese is somewhat destroying that. I'm not Chinese, so it's just speculation. Perhaps someone who knows can explain further.

[MG1]

This should help. I'm sure there are Brighouse schools, libraries, parks, etc though.

http://www.richmond.ca/cityhall/archives/exhibits/schools/boomers/brighouse.htm

Wow, never thought about the area being named after a person, LOL. Now that makes sense.

[AWDTurboLuvr]

I kind of recall the Honda dealership. It was where the Acura dealership is now, am I right?


Used to be right here. I'm thinking it was the Daimasu, but I was pretty young then. I'll ask my dad, since that's where he bought his Accord HB way back.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=cooney+road+richmond&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cooney+Rd,+Richmond,+Greater+Vancouver+Regio nal+District,+British+Columbia&gl=ca&ll=49.164617,-123.12747&spn=0.021551,0.066047&z=15&layer=c&cbll=49.162675,-123.132019&panoid=g2GPjqQMXGCWLjn6Sag0xA&cbp=12,201.72,,0,4.77

[MG1]

Speaking of old dealerships, I remember my father buying his first car from Jim Pattison on Main. The dealership was the one that had a car sticking out of the window. Apparently some worker accidentally drove a car through the window. They decided to keep it that way and made a display out of it.

[MG1]

Another piece of history......... not Vancouver, but close enough. I've been driving to and from the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland for over 31 years now. On the way out to the Valley, I drive by this tree stump on the right side of the Trans Canada Hwy every freaking day. It's a tree that has had its top cut off. I always wondered what the story was behind that tree. It is often decorated with the Canadian Flag, wreaths, and crosses. Recently I have noticed a marker by the tree. Well, I finally looked it up on the Internet. Here's the story.

http://knowbc.blogspot.com/2009/08/famous-trees-of-lower-mainland.html

One day, I'm gonna find my way to that tree and put something there - like a Revscene lanyard, LOL.

[Meowjin]

fuck vancouver. It was great growing up int he 90's but fuck it's fucking state right now. Fuck you people that ruined it

[tonyzoomzoom]

Speaking of old dealerships, I remember my father buying his first car from Jim Pattison on Main. The dealership was the one that had a car sticking out of the window. Apparently some worker accidentally drove a car through the window. They decided to keep it that way and made a display out of it.

Almost bought my first car there :)

I remember riding my bike around Wolfe Chev / Olds when there were still kitty-corner from the PNE on Hastings and Renfrew. They had the used car lot on the north side of Hastings

[MG1]

Now how long ago was that? I remember the dealership, now that you mention it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/squeakymarmot/5250342567/in/pool-621806@N23/lightbox/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/squeakymarmot/5250342567/in/pool-621806@N23/

[tonyzoomzoom]

My mom bought her Chevy Nova there in '75

I'm pretty sure it was still there when we moved out of that neighbourhood around '78

[Death2Theft]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N-pXFx4d-Yk#at=66

[MG1]

Been a while........

Anyway, does anyone know if Gibbs boys club still operates in the Strathcona area? I used to go there often as a kid. Back in the day, there were so many kids in the Strathcona area with nothing to do and this place offered so many things. They took us on field trips. I remember going to Boundary Bay. First time ever leaving the neighbourhood. I remember the teens and young leaders who worked with us. I remember this one very pretty girl leader. Back then there was no such thing as hotness. Horny came later in life, LOL.

Driving around the Strathcona area now, I notice it has changed so much. Not many kids and lots of homeless and way more First Nations folks than there used to be. I also noticed some yuppies....... strange the neighbourhood is now.

[MWR34]

car wreck
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A11007.JPG
Police officer inspects wreck on the Georgia Viaduct - 1943
Photographer: Jack Lindsay
City of Vancouver Archives, item # CVA 1184-636

car wreck
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A13544.JPG
Accident at Richards Street and Davie Street - ca. 1940
Photographer: Jack Lindsay
City of Vancouver Archives, item # CVA 1184-3227

wreck
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A00580.JPG
Wreck beside Georgia Viaduct - 1929
Photographer: Stuart Thomson
City of Vancouver Archives, item # CVA 99-1915

truck wreck
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A00641.JPG
Johnson Storage Company trucks - 1927
Photographer: Stuart Thomson
City of Vancouver Archives, item # CVA 99-1974

car wreck
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A16951.JPG
Wreck in the 1300 Block West Pender Street - 1920
Photographer: Stuart Thomson
City of Vancouver Archives, item # CVA 99-3287

car wreck
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A37188.JPG
An accident near Granville Street and Connaught Drive - 1921
Photographer: Unknown
City of Vancouver Archives, item # Str P409.1

car wreck
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A37365.JPG
Accident at 29th Avenue and Connaught Drive - 1914
Photographer: Unknown
City of Vancouver Archives, item # Str P269.4

car wreck
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A13542.JPG
Accident between a streetcar and automobile - [ca. 1940]
Photographer: Jack Lindsay
City of Vancouver Archives, item # CVA 1184-3225

traffic ticket
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A13056.JPG
B.C. Provincial Police officer writing a ticket - [ca. 1948]
Photographer: Jack Lindsay
City of Vancouver Archives, item # CVA 1184-2695

stop sign
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A17306.JPG
New traffic sign on King Edward Avenue - 1929
Photographer: Stuart Thomson
City of Vancouver Archives, item # CVA 99-3641

directing traffic
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A01058.JPG
Constable Duncan McTavish directing traffic at Hastings Street and Abbott Street - [ca. 1925]
Photographer: Stuart Thomson
City of Vancouver Archives, item # CVA 99-2391

vision test
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/exhibits/images/A35010.jpg
Inspector George Hood tests a motorist for double vision - [between 1940 and 1948]
Photographer: Llewellyn
City of Vancouver Archives, item # Port P794

[bcrdukes]

Driving around the Strathcona area now, I notice it has changed so much. Not many kids and lots of homeless and way more First Nations folks than there used to be. I also noticed some yuppies....... strange the neighbourhood is now.

It's changed significantly. A lot more affluent folk living in the area now along with artists and musicians. A majority of the old-Chinese have moved out or have passed away.

[MWR34]

1957, WestEnd from Burrard
http://www.nonstopdesign.com/fredherzog/West_End_from_Burrard.jpg
Robson St
http://www.nonstopdesign.com/fredherzog/01_robson_st.jpg
Burrard Bridge
http://www.nonstopdesign.com/fredherzog/West_End_Granville_57.jpg
2004
http://www.nonstopdesign.com/fredherzog/West_End_Granville_04.jpg


1907 Stanley park hollow tree
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/hollowtree1907edit.jpg

The first gasoline station in Canada opened in June 1907 on Smithe Street, Vancouver
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/GasStation_1907.jpg

1908 Granville st bridge construction
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1908/SGN936.jpg

1909 Vancouvers first post office, now part of Sinclair centre
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/sinclair_centre.jpg

1911 Denman Arena
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1911/DenmanArena.gif

Construction on one of Vancouver’s most beautiful (and now vanished) buildings, the second Hotel Vancouver, began early in 1913.
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/A01808.jpg

1915 The scoring of Fred "Cyclone" Taylor helped the Vancouver Millionaires win the Stanley Cup.
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/fred_taylor.jpg

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in the Orpheum Theatre, 1918
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/GroVan2.jpg

September 4 1918,
Vancouver’s first plane crash. A flying-boat—an aircraft with a hull-shaped fuselage for operation from water—the H-2, crashed in the West End after an engine failure at 1,500 feet. Piloting the little plane was Lt. Victor Bishop of the RAF, a seasoned pilot who had seen (and would see more) action in the First World War. Bishop’s plane dropped like a stone and fell on the roof of a house owned by Dr. J. C. Farish at the corner of Bute and Alberni Streets. Bishop was not seriously injured. In fact, he stepped out of the plane into the upstairs hallway of the house and, with the assistance of one of the residents, walked down the stairs to the front door and outside through a gathered crowd to a waiting ambulance.

1918
October 25 The worst disaster in coastal history, when the Canadian Pacific Ship Princess Sophia sank. Stranded on a reef in a severe snowstorm off the Alaskan coast, every berth occupied, the crowded luxury coastal steamer was thought to be safe, anchored firmly. “Her captain, L.P. Locke, was one of the most experienced and most respected mariners on the coast.” The passengers, most from the Yukon, played cards and wrote letters. Somehow the Sophia slipped off the reef during the night and sank. All 343 people aboard, 63 of them crew members, were lost. The only survivor was an oil-soaked dog found later wandering on the shore. Writers Betty O'Keefe and Ian Macdonald have written Final Voyage of the Princess Sophia: Did They All Have to Die? (1998)
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/princess_sophia.jpeg

1921 The peach Arch was opened
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/PAopening.jpg

March 21 1921,
The first game of the 1921 Stanley Cup series (a best-of-five contest between the Ottawa Senators and the Vancouver Millionaires) took place at the Denman Arena. The attendance for Game 1 was 11,000 fans, setting a new world record for the largest crowd to see a hockey game. The Senators won three games to two. The remaining dates and scores are below.
Game-by-Game Winning Team Score Losing Team Location
1 Mar. 21 Vancouver Millionaires 2-1 Ottawa Senators Denman Street Arena, Vanc.
2 Mar. 24 Ottawa Senators 4-3 Vancouver Millionaires
3 Mar. 28 Ottawa Senators 3-2 Vancouver Millionaires
4 Mar. 31 Vancouver Millionaires 3-2 Ottawa Senators
5 Apr. 4 Ottawa Senators 2-1 Vancouver Millionaires
Senators win best-of-five series 3 games to 2

1922
Joe Fortes, beloved English Bay
lifeguard, died in February.
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/joe.jpg

1927
Yip Sang, a Chinatown pioneer, built the
Wing Sang Building (51-67 E. Pender),
the oldest standing structure in Chinatown. Photo: courtesy of the Vancouver Museum
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/yip_sang_l.jpg

Granville 1927

http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/GranvilleStreet1927.jpg

1933 Whores
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1933/TexasGuinanNightRiders-WC.jpg

1936 Vancouver City hall
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/VancouverCityHall.jpg

1937 Pattullo bridge
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/PattulloBridge_WilliamMott.jpg

1938 Bus Station, Seymour and Dunsmiur
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1938_busdepot.jpg

1938 Lions Gate
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1938_LionsGate.jpg

1942 Cars owned by Japanese Canadiens were seized and stored at hastings park
April 1 Japanese-Canadians begin to be moved from the west coast to internment camps in the interior and points east. The government "took into custody" 1,337 of their fishboats, as well as houses and other property. The owners received little or no compensation. Not only the entire fishing fleet, but also other businesses, radios, cameras and cars were confiscated. Newspapers were suppressed and language schools were closed. The owners received little or no compensation. Steveston was particularly hard hit.

And a light in a Stanley Park monument built to honor Japanese-Canadian soldiers who had fought bravely and with high casualties for Canada in World War I was turned off.
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/japanese_cars.jpg


1945 London drugs first store, 800 Main st
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/london_drugs.jpg


CKMO's Wilf Ray interviews Sammy Davis, Jr. at the Commodore in 1948. There's something about Wilf that caught Sammy's notice!
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/wilf_ray.jpg

The collapse of the Second Narrows Bridge June 17, 1958
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1958/2ndnarrows-collapse.jpg

1961
May 8 Businessman Jimmy Pattison began his rise in business when he bought a GM dealership (Pontiac/Buick) with a $40,000 bank loan from the Royal Bank, using his home and life insurance policy as collateral. Today, Pattison runs B.C.’s largest privately-owned company, the Jim Pattison Group.

http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1961/iexec_pattison.jpg

Once called the BC Hydro Building, the 21-storey Electra was B.C.'s tallest building in 1961.
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1961/Electra1.jpg

The Port Mann Bridge opened in 1964
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1964/portmann.jpg

1965 Our Flag
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/images/1965/flag.jpg

[bcrdukes]

89blkcivic,

Since you grew up in the Strathcona-Chinatown area, you may remember this (http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=800+Main+st&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=800+Main+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6A +2W1&ll=49.27953,-123.100573&spn=0.005613,0.013937&t=h&z=17&iwloc=lyrftr:h,13017261807867463661,49.280348,-123.102107). I plan to go there sometime soon. :)

[Skyline350gt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-pXFx4d-Yk

[MG1]

Stories, we need stories........ pics are nice, but recollection of old neighbourhoods and what it was like when you were young - growing up. I often wish I had spent more time with my father - talk about his experiences living in the DTES.

[MG1]

89blkcivic,

Since you grew up in the Strathcona-Chinatown area, you may remember this (http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=800+Main+st&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=800+Main+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6A +2W1&ll=49.27953,-123.100573&spn=0.005613,0.013937&t=h&z=17&iwloc=lyrftr:h,13017261807867463661,49.280348,-123.102107). I plan to go there sometime soon. :)

Not sure what you are referring to. If it's the bridge, I remember when the old viaduct went down and the new overpass was built.

If you're referring to the Jimi Hendrix Shrine, it wasn't there when I was a little kid.

[bcrdukes]

Maybe the link was bad. I think I screwed it up.

I was referring to this:

Foo's Ho Ho (http://www.fooshoho.com/)

[MG1]

Ah, the Ho Ho......... we went there all the time. For every occasion you can think of. If someone died and had a funeral, they would gather there afterwards. Weddings, grads, anniversary, holidays, etc. Food was always good there. I recall it being quite big. Two floors, I think. Also, I don't recall it being called Foo's. In fact, I recall a restaurant named Foo's across the street. Perhaps they merged.

[tonyzoomzoom]

I remember Ming's across from ho ho on Pender. Went there many a times for dinner

[minoru_tanaka]

Thanks, skyxx, it would be nice if RS members, who's family have been here for many generations, took the time to talk to their parents/grandparents about their experiences living here in Greater Vancouver and share those stories here.

My father never said much about the past before he passed away, but then again, I never bugged him about it. I'm sure he had many stories of how life was like back in his day - whether it be about the Chinatown Riots, racism, police conduct towards immigrants, the war days, trying to fit in, etc.


Great-great grandfather said to my great grandfather "Don't go there. White people will spit on you". Not much of a story but that's all he said.

[Senna4ever]

Anyone remember The West End Girls? A group of girls from Vancouver's West End had this catchy, but overplayed song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlQfutFNM4g

[Matlock]

Tidbits of stories that I have heard over the years...

My Grandfather was born in Vancouver during the 1930s and grew up in Chinatown. He was Chinese and spoke English and Toisan which it was the spoken Chinese language in Vancouver during the time.

He grew up in a very poor family and he and his siblings would sleep on old mattresses filled with bed bugs. They would wake up covered in bites. For food they would often have to buy the old moldy bread from the bakery.

People who were not Caucasian were not allowed in the pool at English Bay, but the man who worked there would let my grandfather and his friends in early before they opened. They would all urinate in the pool before leaving, because of the discrimination.

He also told me a story of how in school, he sat behind a blonde Caucasian girl and got black ink from an inkwell all over her hair and got in trouble for that.

In a factory that he worked in, as an adult he was making less than a Caucasian child who worked there doing the exact same job simply because he was Chinese and the child was Caucasian.

We also have a Chinese family member that got buried into the concrete of one of the bridges. I'm assuming he fell in some how during construction.

Our family isn't even our real family last name, when my great grandfather immigrated and paid a head tax they put the wrong name which was his middle name. (Personally, I do not mind it as it is now completely unique to our family)

[minoru_tanaka]

My Grandfather was born in Vancouver during the 1930s and grew up in Chinatown. He was Chinese and spoke English and Toisan which it was the spoken Chinese language in Vancouver during the time.

My uncle came here in the 40s (we're from just outside Guangzhou) and working in a restaurant he used to always get told "Gong tong wa ni yew um hew, gong fan wa ni yew um hiew"


People who were not Caucasian were not allowed in the pool at English Bay, but the man who worked there would let my grandfather and his friends in early before they opened.

Racism when convenient cause Joe Fortes was our first lifeguard and he was black.


In a factory that he worked in, as an adult he was making less than a Caucasian child who worked there doing the exact same job simply because he was Chinese and the child was Caucasian.

We also have a Chinese family member that got buried into the concrete of one of the bridges. I'm assuming he fell in some how during construction.


Harsh

[minoru_tanaka]

I think our football team won the provincial title one year (Shrine Bowl) and went to the finals a few times. Our rivals back then were the Notre Dame Jugglers (private school bastards). They always seemed to beat us. I don't think Britannia even has a football team now. The football coach at the time was Mr. Shreiber <sp?> and Bill Vance, Jodi Vance's father, taught PE.


Mr Jack Schrieber? He was also the wrestling coach. I think 5 consecutive provincial championships!

[Everymans]

Went through quite a lot of pages in this thread. I've only lived here for two years but I've seen a fair share of the city. But I never got the opportunity to see the before and after effects. To be honest I've never had that opportunity anywhere. I seem to move cities every 3-4 years. If anyone has any history of the neighborhood between main-cambie/broadway and terminal that would be awesome. I lived in a 120 year old house in that area for awhile and it is clearly visable how much things have changed in that neighborhood. The house is an artist residency now and a gallery.
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/570/traingraffiti085.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/26/traingraffiti085.jpg/)

I also stumbled upon this photographers flickr awhile back. He has a really great, intimate and well shot collection of vancouver from several decades.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/canadagood/collections/72157622101752602/

[sindragon]

i miss the chinese theatres they use to had
the 1 in the old aberdeen and the 1 that use to be on commerical and broadway

i could of sworn it was in parker place.. i remember a bowling alley there too..... maybe no bowling alley but this was around 13 years ago?? I remember watching chinese films and eating hong kong pop corn (sweet popcorn) hahah

[Bonka]

It always amazes me to see how the neighbourhood you're familiar with has evolved. I grew up in Southeast Vancouver and enjoy recognizing the buildings and surroundings that existed then and how they remained the same or changed over the decades.

Anyone recognize any of these? :)


[View of road paving at the] Intersection Main St. and 34th Ave. [now 33rd Avenue].jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/m9sqzb.jpg

[View of streetcar and businesses at] 49th and Fraser Aves. S[outh] Vancouver.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/znov7o.jpg

1st Ave. and Comm[ercial] DR..jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/29fp6id.jpg

10th Avenue and Cambie Street, site of City Hall.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/10r5owk.jpg

41st Avenue and Fraser Street (Municipal Hall South Vancouver) ca. 1912.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/i6auf6.jpg

41st Avenue looking West from East Boulevard ca. 1914.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/1zfh0uc.jpg

43rd Avenue and Main Street (Drainage pipes stacked) ca. 191-.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/mvox1c.jpg

49th and Fraser Ave (View of streetcar and businesses) ca. 1912.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/znov7o.jpg

500 block of Carrall Street, looking north toward Pender Street.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/11bqa12.jpg

800 Block of Main St 1968+2009.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/11lhqiv.jpg

4100 block of Main street looking Southeast May 7 1946.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/312vf6e.jpg

6306 Prince Albert Street (Women and girls sitting on the front steps of a house) ca. 1916.jpg (I believe this house still stands on that corner)
http://i40.tinypic.com/2cibsrb.jpg

A glimpse of the city from Stanley Park.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2ljqf0k.jpg

Accident scene at 41st and Prince Albert Aug 1948.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2lco6yv.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/e8re9y.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/r2qglu.jpg

An newly built shopping area at the corner of Cedar Street (Burrard Street) and Broadway.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/hu3on9.jpg

Arch at entrance to Central Park, Burnaby.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2u5yq6o.jpg

Broadway and Com[mercial] Dr..jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/vxowa0.jpg

Burrard Pharmacy [1003 Robson].jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/spdkz6.jpg

Capitola Pharmacy and Apartments, corner of Davie Street and Thurlow Street.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/10qm78y.jpg

City Museum, Art Gallery and Library, Vancouver, B.C..jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/ws8y.jpg

Commercial Drive and 11th Avenue (Men erecting power pole) ca. March 28, 1914.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/313kdc8.jpg

Commercial Drive and 20th Avenue ca. 1920.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2hquki1.jpg

Cor. 25th Ave. and Main St. Vancouver, B.C..jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/jpigcx.jpg

Dick building at southeast corner of 9th Avenue (Broadway) and Granville Street.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/s4pgk4.jpg

Entrances to the underground comfort stations on Howe near Robson Street.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/29u8vd.jpg

Exterior of E. Trimble and Sons Central Meat Market - S.W. corner of Westminster Road (Kingsway) and 9th Avenue (Broadway).jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2na339k.jpg

Finished bitulithic pavement Fraser St. and 34th Ave. [now 33rd Ave.].jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/b661r7.jpg

Fraser and 33rd. [Avenue looking] south.jpg (anyone remember the A&W on that corner?)
http://i43.tinypic.com/a3hy6h.jpg

Fraser and 49th. [Avenue looking] north.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/288sfh4.jpg

Grant Motors, 49th. and Fraser showing sign, Home Gas.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2mzlg6r.jpg

Houses, Fraserview housing development, exterior 1950.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2ccs2fl.jpg

Joyce Street looking Southwest towards Carleton School ca. 191-.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/65sql4.jpg

Knight and 41st. [Avenue looking] north.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/vfbj2v.jpg

Knight and 41st. [Avenue looking] west.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/be995d.jpg

Knight and 49th. [Avenue looking] south.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/s10qxj.jpg

Knight and 57th. [Avenue looking] east.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/35i7mzn.jpg

Knight and 57th. [Avenue looking] west.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/oh7b51.jpg

Looking North on Main at 8th Avenue 1922.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2ho9pbk.jpg

Looking North on Main at Broadway 1922.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/vo4zd3.jpg

Looking west from East 64th Avenue (66th Avenue) near Main Street.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2lk4thu.jpg

Main Street at River Road (Marine Drive).jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/n6f0ia.jpg

Marine Drive in South Vancouver.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/hry9eq.jpg

Mr. Francis (Frank) J. Hamilton standing on the 100 block East Pender Street.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/sgljsm.jpg

Mr. Stephens McLaren Ad. Co., Dunbar Theatre.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/33li7nm.jpg

North east corner Columbia Street and Pender Street.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/kdwux0.jpg

Park Avenue (Later Boundary Road) (Showing streetcar, overpass, road and sidewalk ca. 191-.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2z5vk3k.jpg

Smith, Davidson & Wright building [1190 Homer Street].jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/21nqkv5.jpg

South Hill Baptist Chuch South Vancouver ca. 1912.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/20avq6f.jpg

South Hill Public School South Vancouver ca. 1912.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/4udgud.jpg

Southwest exterior of the Court House, viewed from the corner of Hornby and Robson Streets.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/iwj19g.jpg

Taken for Duker and Shaw Billboards Ltd. [Kingsway between Clarendon and Wales Streets].jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2zhqo3a.jpg

Terminal Cartage truck on its side after colliding with a street car on the corner of Howe and Davie Streets.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2lcv1c7.jpg

The Heather Street Creek overflowing Ninth Avenue (Broadway).jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2eo9v93.jpg

View looking Northwest in 2500 block Main June 1939.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/qqwiec.jpg

View looking South on Fraser and East 33rd near the entrance to Mountain View Cemetary July 1944.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/k4yp8y.jpg

View looking southwest in 600 block East Broadway at Fraser June 1939.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/oa19x5.jpg

View of Spanish Banks Beach (formerly Point Grey Beach) from Marine Drive and Blanca Street.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2zzrvkg.jpg

[MG1]

Some of those buldings are still there.

The first London Drugs...... brings back many memories.

Any pics of Richmond circa 1960's? Rchmond was nothing but berry farms.

[K-Dub]

It always amazes me to see how the neighbourhood you're familiar with has evolved. I grew up in Southeast Vancouver and enjoy recognizing the buildings and surroundings that existed then and how they remained the same or changed over the decades.

Anyone recognize any of these? :)


[View of road paving at the] Intersection Main St. and 34th Ave. [now 33rd Avenue].jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/m9sqzb.jpg

[View of streetcar and businesses at] 49th and Fraser Aves. S[outh] Vancouver.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/znov7o.jpg

1st Ave. and Comm[ercial] DR..jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/29fp6id.jpg

10th Avenue and Cambie Street, site of City Hall.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/10r5owk.jpg

41st Avenue and Fraser Street (Municipal Hall South Vancouver) ca. 1912.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/i6auf6.jpg

41st Avenue looking West from East Boulevard ca. 1914.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/1zfh0uc.jpg

43rd Avenue and Main Street (Drainage pipes stacked) ca. 191-.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/mvox1c.jpg

49th and Fraser Ave (View of streetcar and businesses) ca. 1912.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/znov7o.jpg

500 block of Carrall Street, looking north toward Pender Street.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/11bqa12.jpg

800 Block of Main St 1968+2009.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/11lhqiv.jpg

4100 block of Main street looking Southeast May 7 1946.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/312vf6e.jpg

6306 Prince Albert Street (Women and girls sitting on the front steps of a house) ca. 1916.jpg (I believe this house still stands on that corner)
http://i40.tinypic.com/2cibsrb.jpg

A glimpse of the city from Stanley Park.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2ljqf0k.jpg

Accident scene at 41st and Prince Albert Aug 1948.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2lco6yv.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/e8re9y.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/r2qglu.jpg

An newly built shopping area at the corner of Cedar Street (Burrard Street) and Broadway.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/hu3on9.jpg

Arch at entrance to Central Park, Burnaby.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2u5yq6o.jpg

Broadway and Com[mercial] Dr..jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/vxowa0.jpg

Burrard Pharmacy [1003 Robson].jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/spdkz6.jpg

Capitola Pharmacy and Apartments, corner of Davie Street and Thurlow Street.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/10qm78y.jpg

City Museum, Art Gallery and Library, Vancouver, B.C..jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/ws8y.jpg

Commercial Drive and 11th Avenue (Men erecting power pole) ca. March 28, 1914.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/313kdc8.jpg

Commercial Drive and 20th Avenue ca. 1920.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2hquki1.jpg

Cor. 25th Ave. and Main St. Vancouver, B.C..jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/jpigcx.jpg

Dick building at southeast corner of 9th Avenue (Broadway) and Granville Street.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/s4pgk4.jpg

Entrances to the underground comfort stations on Howe near Robson Street.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/29u8vd.jpg

Exterior of E. Trimble and Sons Central Meat Market - S.W. corner of Westminster Road (Kingsway) and 9th Avenue (Broadway).jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2na339k.jpg

Finished bitulithic pavement Fraser St. and 34th Ave. [now 33rd Ave.].jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/b661r7.jpg

Fraser and 33rd. [Avenue looking] south.jpg (anyone remember the A&W on that corner?)
http://i43.tinypic.com/a3hy6h.jpg

Fraser and 49th. [Avenue looking] north.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/288sfh4.jpg

Grant Motors, 49th. and Fraser showing sign, Home Gas.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2mzlg6r.jpg

Houses, Fraserview housing development, exterior 1950.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2ccs2fl.jpg

Joyce Street looking Southwest towards Carleton School ca. 191-.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/65sql4.jpg

Knight and 41st. [Avenue looking] north.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/vfbj2v.jpg

Knight and 41st. [Avenue looking] west.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/be995d.jpg

Knight and 49th. [Avenue looking] south.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/s10qxj.jpg

Knight and 57th. [Avenue looking] east.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/35i7mzn.jpg

Knight and 57th. [Avenue looking] west.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/oh7b51.jpg

Looking North on Main at 8th Avenue 1922.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2ho9pbk.jpg

Looking North on Main at Broadway 1922.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/vo4zd3.jpg

Looking west from East 64th Avenue (66th Avenue) near Main Street.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2lk4thu.jpg

Main Street at River Road (Marine Drive).jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/n6f0ia.jpg

Marine Drive in South Vancouver.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/hry9eq.jpg

Mr. Francis (Frank) J. Hamilton standing on the 100 block East Pender Street.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/sgljsm.jpg

Mr. Stephens McLaren Ad. Co., Dunbar Theatre.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/33li7nm.jpg

North east corner Columbia Street and Pender Street.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/kdwux0.jpg

Park Avenue (Later Boundary Road) (Showing streetcar, overpass, road and sidewalk ca. 191-.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2z5vk3k.jpg

Smith, Davidson & Wright building [1190 Homer Street].jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/21nqkv5.jpg

South Hill Baptist Chuch South Vancouver ca. 1912.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/20avq6f.jpg

South Hill Public School South Vancouver ca. 1912.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/4udgud.jpg

Southwest exterior of the Court House, viewed from the corner of Hornby and Robson Streets.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/iwj19g.jpg

Taken for Duker and Shaw Billboards Ltd. [Kingsway between Clarendon and Wales Streets].jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2zhqo3a.jpg

Terminal Cartage truck on its side after colliding with a street car on the corner of Howe and Davie Streets.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2lcv1c7.jpg

The Heather Street Creek overflowing Ninth Avenue (Broadway).jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2eo9v93.jpg

View looking Northwest in 2500 block Main June 1939.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/qqwiec.jpg

View looking South on Fraser and East 33rd near the entrance to Mountain View Cemetary July 1944.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/k4yp8y.jpg

View looking southwest in 600 block East Broadway at Fraser June 1939.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/oa19x5.jpg

View of Spanish Banks Beach (formerly Point Grey Beach) from Marine Drive and Blanca Street.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2zzrvkg.jpg

Thanks Bonka, it was very interesting to look at these pictures from the past..and comparing the actual intersections [a few of the knight/main/fraser ones I sort of recognize]

[Everymans]

Capitola Pharmacy and Apartments, corner of Davie Street and Thurlow Street.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/10qm78y.jpg


Haha wow. I used to live behind this building, walked beside it everyday and thought it would be such a cool building to live in. (This was last year:P) Thanks for the picture dump. I wish I came to this thread when it was just getting going. So many interesting tales and items I could comment on.

An old lady who randomly sat down and had coffee with me told me there used to be a car co-op garage somewhere near cambie street. A place where skilled car mechanics would help people fix their cars for free in exchange for supporting the garage with tools. They have a bike co-op here in vancouver, why not a car co-op?

[Tim Budong]

Some of those buldings are still there.

The first London Drugs...... brings back many memories.

Any pics of Richmond circa 1960's? Rchmond was nothing but berry farms.

Steveston was where its at for history
I grew up in Steveston Village and its so different now compared to even just 5 years ago

the longest standing building is the brick building on the corner of 2nd ave and moncton

[shenmecar]

wow, that Chevron on Knight and 57th has been there for a long long time!

[pastarocket]

Good read MG1.
Here's my contribution about Vancouver history:

Vancouver panorama images of changing city 1978 and 2003:

http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/fade/fade.htm

Good panoramic view of changes in False Creek, Chinatown, and other parts of downtown Vancouver.

[MG1]

Steveston was where its at for history
I grew up in Steveston Village and its so different now compared to even just 5 years ago

the longest standing building is the brick building on the corner of 2nd ave and moncton

Steveston has changed so much over the years. My father had his fishing boat moored at Paramount (BC Packers). Hundreds of small fishing boats at the docks. Steveston Hardware. Nikka Fishing and Marine, The Japanese grocery store (forgot the name), etc. None of the condos and townhouses that line the streets of Steveston nowadays. Ditches everywhere........ friends lived on the streets along Garry Street.

[RRxtar]

you guys are so lucky you live in a city with so much history. it might not have the history of london or new york, or the modernness of hong kong, but its no slouch. i might be a bit bias since learning BC history was my favorite time in social studies back in school (im sure a lot of you werent here for that) and vancouver was a big part of it.

i've never lived in van (born and still live in kelowna), but i go there a lot and spend a fair bit of time just walking or driving around looking at the mix of history a modern development.

its a cool city. probably just behind montreal in canada. i read a lot of you bitching about all sorts of things down there, but every once in a while when you're driving over the burrard bridge, take a second to remember youre on a bridge thats 80 years old, and one of the best looking bridges around. or when youre stuck in traffic on the alex fraser remember that it was the longest cable stayed bridge in the world when it opened and is still the second longest in north america.


or maybe im just getting to an age where ive seen so much change that i get nostalgic over shit alot

[Bonka]

Some of those buldings are still there.

The first London Drugs...... brings back many memories.

Any pics of Richmond circa 1960's? Rchmond was nothing but berry farms.

I haven't looked into Richmond yet, but I'm sure if I find something it'll definitely be work looking into.

MG,
Do you remember anything about Hogan's Alley growing up? As far as I know, it was pretty much abandoned when the viaduct was built through the area and I imagine that was when that London Drugs disappeared.

A quick search turned up this:
Hogan's Alley Memorial Project (http://www.hogansalleyproject.blogspot.com)

There's also some tidbits of Vancouver history on this blog:
Past Tense (http://pasttensevancouver.wordpress.com/)

Within that, a blurb about LSD in Vancouver:
Acid Al « Past Tense (http://pasttensevancouver.wordpress.com/2010/09/04/acid-al/)

One thing about Vancouver is that despite its outward appearance, one only needs to scratch the surface to dig up some pretty interesting info from the past.

[TypeRNammer]

Definitely South Hill still looks the same!

[MG1]

I remember the old Georgia Street Bridge before they built the viaduct. I remember all the hoopla about bringing the freeway through downtown. Tom "Terrific" Campbell was the mayor then. I often wondered why there weren't that many blacks in Strathcona. The kids must have gone to another elementary school. Hogan's Alley may have been out of the catchment area. Either that or there weren't that many school aged kids in that neighbourhood.

[ilvtofu]

Been a while........

Anyway, does anyone know if Gibbs boys club still operates in the Strathcona area? I used to go there often as a kid. Back in the day, there were so many kids in the Strathcona area with nothing to do and this place offered so many things. They took us on field trips. I remember going to Boundary Bay. First time ever leaving the neighbourhood. I remember the teens and young leaders who worked with us. I remember this one very pretty girl leader. Back then there was no such thing as hotness. Horny came later in life, LOL.

Driving around the Strathcona area now, I notice it has changed so much. Not many kids and lots of homeless and way more First Nations folks than there used to be. I also noticed some yuppies....... strange the neighbourhood is now.


Lol my elementary school changed so much can't find any pics of it but the building was quite an eyesore, now it's some modern looking townhouse complex. (st francis xavier on princess ave. and e. georgia if anyone remembers) The area is definitely really nice now which is weird considering how close it is to the docks, homeless shelters and food kitchens, skid row, chinatown, etc.

[RRxtar]

what was the purpose of building the viaducts?

[MG1]

what was the purpose of building the viaducts?

Cars can zip by and not notice the homeless, hungry, and poverty below???

It takes you downtown velly, velly fast. At least on weekends. You hit the lights the right way and you can go non-stop to Burrard from Venebles and Clark.

[MG1]

Proud to be born and raised in the DTES.

Strathcona. Vancouver's first neighbouhood.

Our History | Strathcona Residents' Association | Vancouver BC (http://strathcona-residents.org/our-history)

[Senna4ever]

After my grandparents passed away, I found a big stack of LIFE Magazines from the 1940's to the 1960's in their basement, and since I'm the photographer in the family, I got to keep them! This is an aerial photo of Vancouver that was in an article from the December 22, 1941 issue. This is also the issue that was published a week after the Pearl Harbour attacks. Some amazing photos from Pearl Harbour are in this issue. I'll post a scan of an unbelievable story in the Asian History thread.

Notice how much larger False Creek is. My grandfather came to Vancouver in 1918, and he told me of these small rivers or creeks draining into False Creek that were so full of returning salmon that you could literally walk on their backs! Sadly none of them remain.

Click for larger image to read the text.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Senna4ever/Forum%20crap/img068.jpg

[MG1]

Yes, False Creek was a lot bigger. It was nothing but swamp back when I was a kid. They were developing it and filling most of it in during the 50's and 60's. I think it was mentioned somewhere in this thread - the many undergound creeks. All used to have salmon. The salmon are returning, apparently.

[dinosaur]

Video of 1961 Vancouver from Global news last night...

1961 Vancouver - News Hour Final - Videos | Global BC (http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/1961+vancouver/video.html?v=2186842128)

Randene and Squire also provide some pretty funny commentary :)

[Gridlock]

what was the purpose of building the viaducts?

It was supposed to be part of a highway that leveled stratacona and connected to the #1. Local opposition stopped the project.

[RRxtar]

i was wondering if that was the case. it looks like it was the start but then never continued. i always wondered why there wasnt a highway running from #1 into downtown too. also one that runs from #1 to the airport

[Jer3]

anybody know the history about no 5 road and the highway to heaven in richmond?

[shawn79]

Video of 1961 Vancouver from Global news last night...

1961 Vancouver - News Hour Final - Videos | Global BC (http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/1961+vancouver/video.html?v=2186842128)

Randene and Squire also provide some pretty funny commentary :)

the guy was like :awwyeah: @ 2:15
after catching the red snapper

[skyxx]

Something about the viaducts?

The First Georgia Viaduct « Spacing Vancouver (http://spacingvancouver.ca/2011/06/16/the-first-georgia-viaduct/)

I wonder how Vancouver would look if the Viaduct/highway project didn't terminate. Would love to see the old renditions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2xdYUk4iAY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcbDhWT5orE&feature=related

[MG1]

^Ha ha..... Raymur Project.

Not sure if it solved problems or created more problems. When first built, the place looked really nice. Within months, the place looked like total shit. Somehow, it made the ghetto more ghetto.

[Everymans]

Video of 1961 Vancouver from Global news last night...

1961 Vancouver - News Hour Final - Videos | Global BC (http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/1961+vancouver/video.html?v=2186842128)

Randene and Squire also provide some pretty funny commentary :)

SHUT THE HELL UP SQUIRE!

[tgill]

Something about the viaducts?

The First Georgia Viaduct « Spacing Vancouver (http://spacingvancouver.ca/2011/06/16/the-first-georgia-viaduct/)

I wonder how Vancouver would look if the Viaduct/highway project didn't terminate. Would love to see the old renditions.

The preferred of the three proposed options for the 1972 Grandview Cut freeway.
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/2158/scan11s.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4200/scan41o.jpg
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/5990/scan31o.jpg
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/2949/scan21z.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/6262/scan51n.jpg

[RRxtar]

ya that makes so much more sense now

why did it get scrapped?

[EvoFire]

^ Omg how much better would traffic be right now if that freeway was actually built.

[skyxx]

Though, it's two sides of the coin. If it was built, you wouldn't see a lot of the Strathcona area/Van Eat history anymore. Plus I believe the hippies and opposition just tried to reject everything the gov does. :lol

Just noticed one of the Diagrams shows "Brocton Point crossing". I assume it's some type of underground freeway/train system that connects from the 401 highway to north vancouver. :/

[tgill]

Though, it's two sides of the coin. If it was built, you wouldn't see a lot of the Strathcona area/Van Eat history anymore. Plus I believe the hippies and opposition just tried to reject everything the gov does. :lol

Just noticed one of the Diagrams shows "Brocton Point crossing". I assume it's some type of underground freeway/train system that connects from the 401 highway to north vancouver. :/

Google Books has a book that covers the rejection of the freeway and the third crossing.

Vancouver Ltd - Donald Gutstein - Google Books (http://books.google.ca/books?id=tchhd4FUS98C&lpg=PA162&ots=2sQ1uYa_6C&dq=chinatown%20vancouver%20opposition%20to%20freew ay&pg=PA154#v=onepage&q&f=false)

Vancouver Ltd - Donald Gutstein - Google Books (http://books.google.ca/books?id=tchhd4FUS98C&lpg=PA162&ots=2sQ1uYa_6C&dq=chinatown%20vancouver%20opposition%20to%20freew ay&pg=PA162#v=onepage&q&f=false)

[MG1]

Wife went shopping downtown and I had to kill some time. SO...............



I cruised around and stumbled upon this place.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1104.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1103.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1101.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1100.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1102.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1105.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1110.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1107.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1111.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1112.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/89blkcivic/IMG_1098.jpg

Left my mark on the comments wall, LOL

The pics were taken on my crappy iPod at the Museum of Vancouver inside the H. R. McMillan Space Centre. Temporary gallery of neon signs from Vancouver's past. The rest of the pics are from the permanent display. Some really interesting stuff......... some great artifacts on display.

[SumAznGuy]

Driving down Hastings towards downtown, I noticed that part of the block with the London Drugs was fenced off and they had started to demolish some of the buildings. So far it looks like they are just tearing down the buildings between London Drugs and the Dollar Giant.
They tore down one building which freed the wall of the building next door and on the wall it says Coast Cleaners and then there is a 4 digit phone number (?)

MG1. Do you remember anything about this company? I'll try to get some pics tomorrow before they tear down this wall.

[kunoman1]

Steveston was where its at for history
I grew up in Steveston Village and its so different now compared to even just 5 years ago



I used to visit Kuno garden (for obvious reasons) all the time when I was younger with my family, it was like a family road trip (my grandparents didn't drive much..) and they would tell me stories about how my great grandpa's boat was taken away in the war or how great great grandpa came over on a small fishing boat to Canada way back when. I recall the garden used to be more well kept, now there are some weeds etc growing in the dirt. Also I recall there used to be more fishing boats in the summer, doesn't seem to be as many boats anymore, if the fishing dying down? http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3389/4577521190_0668604cbd_z.jpg

I feel like a baby.

[Meowjin]

Maybe you should go help maintain it, if it means a lot to you.

[kunoman1]

That's was the plan once I graduate freein up some spare time

[Senna4ever]

Driving down Hastings towards downtown, I noticed that part of the block with the London Drugs was fenced off and they had started to demolish some of the buildings. So far it looks like they are just tearing down the buildings between London Drugs and the Dollar Giant.
They tore down one building which freed the wall of the building next door and on the wall it says Coast Cleaners and then there is a 4 digit phone number (?)

MG1. Do you remember anything about this company? I'll try to get some pics tomorrow before they tear down this wall.
I live a few blocks away, so I went and snapped a pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Senna4ever/Forum%20crap/3A2C7169.jpg

[MG1]

They tore down one building which freed the wall of the building next door and on the wall it says Coast Cleaners and then there is a 4 digit phone number (?)

MG1. Do you remember anything about this company? I'll try to get some pics tomorrow before they tear down this wall.

Place was too far east from where I lived. That's a 7 digit phone number, BTW.

I'm assuming the prefix is most likely Highland.......... 44x-6063.

My exchange while growing up in DTES used to be Mutual-1........ 681-48 something something (cannot remember that far back). Edit: remembered it..... 681-4891 (mom drilled it into me - 50+ years later and I still remember it.)

Back to the phone number on the side of the building. Since, there is no number after "High," it must be that the first three letters are the exchange (444?)

For all you Richmond folks, 27x exchange is "Brighouse"

[MG1]

I used to visit Kuno garden (for obvious reasons) all the time when I was younger with my family, it was like a family road trip (my grandparents didn't drive much..) and they would tell me stories about how my great grandpa's boat was taken away in the war or how great great grandpa came over on a small fishing boat to Canada way back when. I recall the garden used to be more well kept, now there are some weeds etc growing in the dirt. Also I recall there used to be more fishing boats in the summer, doesn't seem to be as many boats anymore, if the fishing dying down? http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3389/4577521190_0668604cbd_z.jpg

I feel like a baby.

Check the story again....... the part about coming over in a small fishing boat. Don't think it is possible......... would run out of fuel.

The fishing industry here in the LM is pretty much dead. Most commercial fishermen go fish the West Coast (Tofino/Uculet) or go up to the North Coast (Prince Rupert and points between, like Campbell River).

[Gridlock]

Place was too far east from where I lived. That's a 7 digit phone number, BTW.

I'm assuming the prefix is most likely Highland.......... 44x-6063.

My exchange while growing up in DTES used to be Mutual-1........ 681-48 something something (cannot remember that far back). Edit: remembered it..... 681-4891 (mom drilled it into me - 50+ years later and I still remember it.)

Back to the phone number on the side of the building. Since, there is no number after "High," it must be that the first three letters are the exchange (444?)

For all you Richmond folks, 27x exchange is "Brighouse"

First thing I thought is how the phone numbers on tv are like "klondike5-1234", for 555-1234.

[BaBiE_Bee]

Driving down Hastings towards downtown, I noticed that part of the block with the London Drugs was fenced off and they had started to demolish some of the buildings. So far it looks like they are just tearing down the buildings between London Drugs and the Dollar Giant.
They tore down one building which freed the wall of the building next door and on the wall it says Coast Cleaners and then there is a 4 digit phone number (?)

MG1. Do you remember anything about this company? I'll try to get some pics tomorrow before they tear down this wall.

Looks like they are starting to do the demo's for the expansion of the London Drugs, finally!

[bcrdukes]

Place was too far east from where I lived. That's a 7 digit phone number, BTW.

I'm assuming the prefix is most likely Highland.......... 44x-6063.

My exchange while growing up in DTES used to be Mutual-1........ 681-48 something something (cannot remember that far back). Edit: remembered it..... 681-4891 (mom drilled it into me - 50+ years later and I still remember it.)

Back to the phone number on the side of the building. Since, there is no number after "High," it must be that the first three letters are the exchange (444?)

For all you Richmond folks, 27x exchange is "Brighouse"

Wow, old skool!

The central office that used to serve that community (Highland) no longer exists. It got replaced by "Alpine" located on Victoria Drive and serves a majority of East Vancouver. The moment you cross Main Street, Mutual would serve you.

Odd bit: There are two Mutuals now, both located on Seymour and Robson where Telus is. :)

[SumAznGuy]

Just drove past LD on my way home and the building with the Coast Dry Cleaners sign is no more. Everything between LD and Dollar Giant is now broken pieces of wood.

[MG1]

Just drove past LD on my way home and the building with the Coast Dry Cleaners sign is no more. Everything between LD and Dollar Giant is now broken pieces of wood.

Wow, looks like Senna got the last pic of the old building before it went down......

[kunoman1]

Check the story again....... the part about coming over in a small fishing boat. Don't think it is possible......... would run out of fuel.



asked around can't figure out what type of boat it was, guess a small boat is a bit unlikely

[Senna4ever]

Wow, looks like Senna got the last pic of the old building before it went down......
The building is still there, but the sign is covered by a big white plastic sheet.

[mmmk]

Wife went shopping downtown and I had to kill some time. SO...............

I cruised around and stumbled upon this place.


I went there last summer to check out the exhibit, awesome!

[SumAznGuy]

The building is still there, but the sign is covered by a big white plastic sheet.

Check again. The tarp is covering the Dollar Giant wall. When I drove by it on tuesday, the Coast Dry Cleaning building was gone and it exposed the wooden walls of the DG building.

[Senna4ever]

^^^ I think you need to check again. As of yesterday, the buildings directly east of the dollar store still stood. I'm sure I saw the sign faintly....I'll check tonight though.

[MindBomber]

I went to Playland yesterday, it was my first visit to the park in quite a few years. To my shock and disappointment a number of the rides have been removed and replaced with more modern ones. Most notably my favourite ride was missing - Wild Mouse. Apparently it was removed in 2008, but this being my first trip to the park since it's news to me.

A little bit of history on the ride and a video:
The Playland/PNE Wild Mouse coaster sadly met its final demise at the end of the 2008 season.

The coaster opened at Playland in 1979 and ran through 2008. This mouse was famously known for its brutal flat turns and white knuckle drops. The ride was an experience many will remember.

Due to high maintenance costs and the age of the ride, the park decided to raze it and replace it with a newer attraction. Wild Mouse came to the US from Germany in 1958.


PNE "Wild Mouse" is Gone Forever - YouTube

Also missing since my last visit, Octopus, Dragon Coaster, and the Tilt-a-whirl. The Wild Mouse was the very classic, vintage ride though.

[tonyzoomzoom]

The wild mouse was my first roller coaster ride. Scared the living crap out of me :)

[BrRsn]

^ I remember there was one very sharp turn and the structure was padded at that point, a lot of times your head would swing and nail the padding :fuckthatshit: good times

[SkinnyPupp]

Old wooden roller coasters are so much more exciting than the ones where you are strapped in tightly to some mechanism that just carries you around a bit. The new ones may look more thrilling, but nothing compares to being thrown around a cart in some rickety old contraption :D

[MG1]

Please tell me the wooden roller coaster at the PNE is still around. Coaster aficionados hands down say wooden is the ultimate.

The Wild Mouse was indeed a classic and the Dragon was a favourite, too.