Eighties Entertainment

During the 1980s, school enrolment dropped quite a bit. However, the density of residential areas increased in population by 9% to 451,000 in 1989. The increase in density was helped by the construction of the Sktrain. Before the train, it was difficult for people living in communities such as New Westminster or Surrey or Coquitlam to come to Vancouver. It could be done but there is no freeway system in the city.

Port Vancouver saw real growth in the 1980s, becoming the largest in North America in terms of tonnage of imports and exports by the end of the decade. For the first time, the Port of Vancouver shipped almost as many goods to Asia as to the United States. About 30% of all exports went to Japan. The port handled more lumber, grain and coal than any other port in Canada. Over 3,000 foreign vessels docked here in 1989.

The 80s was the decade when the entertainment industry discovered Vancouver. The television industry filmed such classics as 21 Jump Street, the last season of Airwolf, Good Rockin' Tonite (one of my favourite shows, featuring music videos) and MacGyver here in Vancouver. And that is just to name a few. The Wikipedia page I consulted had over 200 pages for shows filmed in Vancouver.

And the movie industry found Vancouver as well.  Wikipedia has 386 pages for movies filmed in Vancouver. Of course, not all listed were filmed in the 80s but some from that decade include Cousins with Ted Danson, Rocky IV with Sylvestor Stallone and Shoot to Kill with Tom Beringer and Sidney Poitier.

Vancouver's pop/rock music scene also exploded. Artists such as Headpins, Bryan Adams, Loverboy, The Payolas, Sweeney Todd gained international success and showed the world talent does exist here. (A funny thing. I did an interview with the online radio show, Debra's Roundtable and was talking about Vancouver's 80s music scene)

Tourism in Vancouver got quite a boost, thanks to the success of Expo 86 and the West Coast became the fourth most popular destination in the world for cruise ships.

The suburbs otherwise known as part of Greater Vancouver, also benefited in the 80s. The Westminster Quay redevelopment along the New Westminster waterfront was a $330 million mega-project. This was a huge mega project. It turned out quite nice too.

By the time the new decade started, the Lower Mainland had boomed. The following number of businesses called this area home:

2,200 restaurants;1,200 real estate firms; 1,000 auto-repair shops;800 beauty shops; 800 insurance businesses; 700 travel agencies; 600 construction firms; 600 women's clothing and speciality stores; 600 computer and data processing businesses; 600 furniture stores and 500 drug stores. Wow!

Thanks to the book, Vancouver, A Visual History by Bruce Macdonald for the above information.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

James Doohan

After World War II, Jimmy Doohan moved to London, Ontario. His goal at the time was to continue his education in the technical field but after hearing a radio drama, he knew he could do better. So he recorded his voice at a local radio station and learned of a drama school in Toronto. While at that school, Jimmy won a two year scholarship to the Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York City. There he studied with people such as Leslie Nielson, Tony Randall and Richard Boone. 

Starting January 12, 1946, Doohan had many roles on CBC radio and would travel between Toronto and New York. He estimated he performed in over 4,000 radio programs and 450 television programs in that period of time. He earned a reputation for his versatility.

In the mid-1950s, Jimmy appeared as forest ranger Timber Tom - the Canadian counterpart to Buffalo Bob -in the Canadian version of Howdy Doody. Ironically, William Shatner - Doohan's Star Trek co-star - was appearing as Ranger Bill in the American version at the same time. Doohan and Shatner both appeared in the Canadian science fiction series, Space Command, in the 1950s. In 1957 and 1958, Jimmy appeared in several episodes of Hawkeye and the Last Mohicans. 

For GM Presents, James played the lead role in the 1956 CBC TV drama, Fly into Danger and in 1960, The Night They Killed Joe Howe. Arthur Hailey rewrote the former into the novel Runway Zero-Eight then adapted to Terror in the Sky.

Among Jimmy Doohan's credits are The Twilight Zone, GE True, Hazel, The Outer Limits, Bewitched, Fantasy Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) and Bonanza. The 1962 episode of Bonanza he was in is entitled 'Gift of Water' and one of his co-stars was Majel Barrett who later portrayed Nurse Chapel on Star Trek.

As well, Doohan was an assistant to the president of the United States of America in two episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and has an uncredited role in the 1965 Satan Bug. In 1971, he shared the screen with Richard Harris in the movie,  Man in the Wilderness, filmed in Spain.

Once again, I want to thank Wikipedia for the information on James Doohan. I will tell you more on Friday. I haven't even gotten to his Star Trek days or his personal life.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

A Saint and Strippers

Not far from the churches that I wrote on yesterday is the St.Paul's Hospital. In 1894 a twenty-five bed compassionate care hospital was founded by the religious order called the Sisters of Providence.

Right from the start St. Paul's has been interested in keeping up with the latest in medical research. Around 1906 it became one of the first to have its own x-ray machine. Then the machine used glass plate negatives and the exposures took 15 to 45 seconds. During that time patients could be burned and operators electrocuted. A procedure that we now take basically for granted was certainly a dangerous proposition then.

In 1919 the hospital established formal requirements for the operation of the laboratory and x-ray and for keeping written records of the patients' medical history - something that hadn't really been done before. The hospital kept growing and in 1969 a lay adminstrator was hired to run the hospital while the Sisters continued their involvement.

The hospital's North wing was completed in 1931, the South wing during World War II and the two ten story towers in 1983 and 1991. St. Paul's has grown from that small hospital into a high tech care unit that attracts some of the best in their fields.

A feature I really like and think is needed is Angel's Cradle.

If a mother has an infant that she cannot care for she can leave it here. The child will get the medical care it needs and will more than likely be placed with provincial child care services. The child will be safe. It is a lot better than a desperate mother leaving her infant somewhere that he or she could be harmed. This way the mother can show her love for her baby by ensuring that someone will take care of it.





From hospitals to churches. The hospital was founded by a Catholic women's religious order whereas the St. Paul's Church is of the Anglican denomination. Anglican Episcopal to be exact.

This wooden Gothic Revival building was fashioned after a typical parish church in England and built in 1905. The architect, W. H. Archer, used local materials such as sandstone foundations and the shingles on the shingle walls. The stained glass windows were designed by Henry Bloomfield and Son who happened to be Vancouver's pre-eminent stained glass studio when this church was built.

Here's an interesting fact that I discovered only a few moments ago. St. Paul's Anglican Church has an indoor labyrinth. This spiritual form is a replica of the one laid in stone at the Chartres Cathedral in France. This one is made of canvas with velcro and can be rented.

I didn't get any really good photos of the stained glass since I was on the outside.

The title does say strippers and I wouldn't let you down.

The Penthouse Night Club founded in 1947 by four brothers - Joe, Ross, Mickey and Jimmy Filippone - and right from the start the club's colorful history began. Joe, the eldest brother, held private parties in an upstairs apartment which also had the police as regular visitors.

A supper club back then this was the place to be. Stars such as Max Baer, Gary Cooper, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra were entertained by such acts as Sammy David Jr., Harry Belafonte and Nat King Cole. No wonder the Penthouse is in the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.

I did say a colorful history though didn't I? Well over the years the night club has been in operation it not has had Joe's wild parties but has also been accused of being a hangout for the local Mafia. And a group of pimps apparently threatened to bomb the establishment unless they were allowed to move in.

Good or bad The Penthouse Night Club is a Vancouver icon. If you remember the show Intelligence with Ian Tracey you may recognize the front. It was used as the Chickadee - the strip club that Reardon and his partner owned.

This house next door the Penthouse Night Club was also used in the show Intelligence. I enjoy watching television shows that I know are filmed here except for the fact that I spend a lot of time trying to recognize landmarks.
Today you have been healed, saved and had some fun. Whatever will happen tomorrow?

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, St. Paul's Hospital, St. Paul's Church,Penthouse Night Club,Ian Tracey,walk,history,