Not Where I Intended

Today I started on a journey in the rain. I was going to go to New Brighton Park. I researched where it was and how to get there through Google Maps. I had the route all planned out. But you know what they say about the best laid plans.

I couldn't find it. And then, to make matters worse, I had to go to the bathroom. Badly! And of course there is nowhere to go. I could have gone behind some bushes I guess but the only things I could find was blackberry bushes.

So I wandered and found my way to Burrard View Park. Thankfully there was a building with lavatory facilities there. Unfortunately there was also a padlock on the doors. Labor Day and all that is now locked up. (I shall have to talk to someone about that. It may be after summer but I still walk and still have to use the facilities sometimes!)

There was another building nearby though.

This is the St. James' Cottage Hospice. I went in and asked for their advice on where I could go. A nice woman bent the rules and allowed me to use their washroom. And I was so fascinated by the surroundings that I knew I had to write about it.

There is a monument outside of this hospice that gives tribute to Helen Gregory MacGill. Mrs. MacGill was a woman that many today should give a nod to.

Born in Hamilton Ontario on Jamuary 7, 1864, Helen Emma Gregory was the first woman to graduate from Trinity College. She then went to work as a newspaper reporter. Her first husband, Dr. F.C. Flescher, passed away and she married her second husband, J.H. MacGill in 1902. MacGill was a successful lawyer in Vancouver. (thanks to The Canadian Encyclopedia for the photo of Ms. MacGill)

In 1917 Helen became the first female judge in British Columbia. During her tenure as a judge for the Juvenile Court she focused on improving pensions, women's rights and other social laws. She also passed on her fervor for women's rights to her daughters, Dr. Helen MacGill Hughes and Elsie MacGill, a noted aeronautical engineer.

Here are some more views of the hospice.

If I were facing my last days on this earth this would be the place that I would love to spend them at. I mean look at the view.

Imagine how it must look when the rain isn't misting everything.

There is even a dog park next door. I did take a photo of three dogs playing but for some reason the photo didn't transfer to the computer. So I will leave that to your imagination.

It is almost destiny that I go for walk intending on arriving at one destination yet find myself somewhere else. And there lies a story that needs to be told.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Burrard View Park, Helen Gregory MacGill,New Brighton Park,St. James Cottage Hospice,walk,history,

Coming to An End

Officially the first day of fall is September 22, 2010. But this is the last long weekend of summer, Labour Day Weekend, and for many it signifies the end of the lazy days.

The long days of playing in the sun, getting into mischief and being free will end after this weekend. Then it will be back to school for children and perhaps new projects for the adults.

Labour Day was first celebrated in New York City in 1882 and became a federal holiday in the U.S. in 1894. It was formed to honor the working person and parades were held to exhibit the strength of the working class. There was also more than likely a bit of politics involved here.

In May of 1894 approximately 3000 employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company went on a wildcat strike to protest the reduction in wages and the layoffs of numerous employees due to tough times. The strike halted traffic west of Chicago and a massive struggle between the American Railway Union,  the country's first nation wide union, and the railway. As can sometimes happen with these sort of things events turned violent and President Grover Cleveland sent in 12,000 troops to try to restore order. By the time the dust settled 13 strikers were killed, 57 wounded and $340,000 worth of damage was done by 6,000 employees. (That would work out to over $8,000,000 in today's monies.) So Cleveland was eager to try to smooth over things with the labour parties.

The luscious green foliage and the hues of summer blossoms will soon fade - some are already - and appear to die as nature goes to sleep for the winter. But before that, before the earth's landscape loses colour we are going to be treated to nature dressing up in her finest shades for the last dance of the year.

Starting Tuesday kiddies will pour into buildings such as the one below. Excited for the first day of school, saddened that the summer is over, eager to show off the new school clothes yet chafing against the restrictive nature of them, so different from the looseness and ease of summer attire.

Those attending here have the privilege of going to an elementary school that was built in 1909 and was named after the wife of King Edward VII of England.

One of the buildings in this elementary school was built in 1910.  Lord Selkirk Elementary school was named after the Scottish philanthropist who helped poor people not only in his home land but here as well.

Then there will be those students who put on a uniform and attend St. Francis of Assisi School.

They will follow the fish through the gate of this Catholic based learning establishment and, like their counterparts at other schools, will learn and progress.

Some mourn the end of summer. Mourn the fact that the hot days are disappearing, that structure and order are back in the norm, that sandals, shorts and tshirts are put away for another year. But I don't. Every season has something to offer. The nip in the air that is coming makes a person feel alive, the inevitable rain nourishes the earth and the added clothing protects our skin from outer harm.

Not that I haven't enjoyed this summer because I have. I have rediscovered my passion for history and through this blog am able to share it with you.  I am grateful too that I have got out into the city and taken pictures of places that may soon disappear. Like the Cecil Hotel.

Yesterday I wrote about the Yale Hotel on Granville Street. The Cecil Hotel is right beside it though not for long.

The Cecil Hotel was built in 1909 and for approximately the last thirty five years has been a strip club. It is now closed and waiting to be transformed into high rise condos. So we shall say goodbye to another Vancouver landmark.

On the humourous side if I hadn't had rediscovered my passion for history I would never have read the tidbit that on October 6, 1909 Vancouver took its first mechanized ambulance out for a test drive. That didn't go so well. They ran over and killed an American tourist.

On that note I will wish you all a great weekend. I will probably be back on Monday.

I hope you find the beauty around you, no matter what the season.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Summer, Fall,Labour Day,Grover Cleveland,walk,history,

From Functional to Fantastic

I found a self guided walking tour of Yaletown on the Internet last night so today I decided to walk there.

Yaletown, much like Vancouver itself, came to be in response to the railroad. And some wise politicians giving tax concessions to CPR so that the company would build their rail yards and terminals here. They did. And other businesses sprang up around that hub.

Many of the workers for the railroad stayed at the Yale Hotel on what is on Granville Street.

The Yale Hotel - formerly known as The Colonial Hotel - is one of the oldest buildings in Vancouver. It was built in 1890.

Also built in 1890 was The Golden Gate Hotel.

Okay so it isn't the hotel any longer but this location has been continously occupied since it was built. At one time the lower level was the original location of the Bank of Nova Scotia - that opened in 1912. In 1929 the bank moved. There has been a restaurant here since the 1940s.

And here is the building the bank moved to.

Impressive, don't you think?

In 1900 the City of Vancouver laid out this area as a warehouse district. It was close to CPR`s rail lines and shipping dock making it an ideal place for warehousing companies, truck and transfer firms and small businesses to set up.

Many of these buildings in the area are the same ones that were here originally but I am certain that the appearance of them is much different now. Especially the view of the high rises in the background.

The Yaletown Building was constructed in 1913 and was home then to such companies as the National Bag Company and the Canadian Naval Store. Now the tenants are professionals like architectural firms.

This building was built in 1912. The design allowed for office, commercial, storage and manufacturing to be conducted in one building. The window openings were filled with concrete in the 1950s due to a fire. It was rehabiliated in 1994 and is used for both business and residential now.

Many of  these warehouses have been converted to residential. From what I have seen on the Internet some of the suites are spectacular.

The Lighheart Aparments were built in 1910 and has two sections separated by a center piece. It is now known as Brookland Court and was converted to social housing around 1990.

These two photos are of the SNS Lounge and Grill. The cafe has only been there since 1992 but the building has existed since 1913. It was originally the home of Front Darling & Co., Electrical Supplies and Machinery. Since the establishment was closed I was unable to look inside but according to the research I did when this was the Soho Cafe and Billiards the owners had managed to recreate much of the original details.

I walked for a long time today and I got a lot of pictures. I also noticed that I made an error on a few and will eventually have to go back. That`s okay. Another blog entry is in the works.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Yaletown, Soho Cafe and Billiards,Lightheart Apartments,CPR,walk,history,

Nourishment

I was strolling down to Chinatown today. The sun was out, there was a cool breeze and everything still seems fresh from yesterday's downpour. I realize that I go to the Strathcona area a lot to take photos but there is a reason for that. Not only is it close to me but there is so much history to write on.

At the corner of Gore and East Pender I noticed this building shining in the sun.

It is gorgeous. Then I remembered that a few weeks ago there had been an artist working on a mural at the parking lot. The parking lot that was right behind me so I turned around to see how the artwork was coming along and I was blown away. As I think you may be too.

Just look at the talent that has gone into creating this. It takes up the entire outside wall of a building. And the artists even left a message for those who gaze upon their work.

This will be a wall I will stop to admire whenever I am in the area. If you happen to be nearby take the time to see it. You won't regret it.

There was a reason though that I was going to Chinatown today. My father told me to check out a restaurant that his friend Esther had told him about.

This is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Vancouver and dates back to the late 1940s. It is also the last of the 'village-style' Cantonese restaurants. Foo's Ho Ho still follows a peasant style method of cooking that was brought over with certain Chinese immigrants during the California Gold Rush.

The interesting thing about writing this blog is not only searching out a certain landmark such as the restaurant but also finding other little tidbits. Like the fact that Foo's Ho Ho is located on the ground floor of the New Sun Ah Hotel. This hotel was built in 1910 with additions being added in 1911. The top three floors had rooms that were homes for the Chinese labourers. 

Once I got a few pictures around here I did start to wander again. It was such a beautiful day and my landlord is renovating the suite above me which means I didn't really want to go home and deal with the noise. So I decided to give my soul a bit more nourishment.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen was a Chinese revolutionary who is referred to as the founding father of  Republican China and was instrumental in inspiring the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty. He is also considered to be one of China's greatest political leaders.

The design of this garden is based on that balance and harmony of the four elements - rock, water, plants and architecture. Styled after a classic Chinese gardent, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park is an experience in the eternal yin and yang.

Sometimes nature can have such a calming effect. When combined with the beauty of what humans can create I can see where how it is a balance. It is so beautiful to look at and I can think of at least two television series that had scenes in this garden - Poltergeist, The Legacy and Highlander, The Series - both favorites of mine.

I even managed to catch one park resident getting ready for his (or her) close up.

Notice the iconic 'W' in the background that used to be on the roof of the Woodwards department store. The building behind that contains the new condos that have gone up on the ground where Woodwards used to be.

And some inhabitants seemed to be a little camera shy.

While others just carried on with the day.

There wasn't any admission to the park that I went to though there is to go through the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Someday I will have the honor of going through there too.

Before I left I had to be certain to take a picture of this sign in the distance.

A comforting thought. When I started to do a little research on it I found out more information. Too much for just a little entry. More on this another day.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Foo's Ho Ho Restaurant, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen,mural,Gore,gardens,history,