Transit Transitions

Today let's discuss something that many city dwellers take for granted and may not even really consider. Except to curse at if we miss one or if one gets in our way as we are travelling. We assume that they will always be there when needed but rarely stop to think about it. I'm talking about the transit system.

The first transit system was known as Vancouver Electric Railway and Light Company incorporated in 1886. In 1889 the company was reincorporated as Vancouver Street Railways Company. Unfortunately four years later the company went into receivership and was acquired by CRy&LCo.

Consolidated Railway and Light Company was incorporated in 1894. They acquired Westminster & Vancouver Interurban in 1895. The Westminster & Vancouver was part of the province's electric interurban systems. Consolidated changed their name in CRyCo.

British Columbia Electric Railway Company lasted longer than its predeccosers. It ran from 1897 to 1962.

On March 19, 1923 BC Electric Railway Company president, George Kidd inaugurated the first motorbus line on Grandview Highway H The new route connected Broadway and Commercial with the Grandview area at 22 and Rupert. Two 23-passenger buses were bought from the White Motor Company and the bodies were built locally by G.W. Ribchester. These vehicles were hand cranked and had solid tires. The initial run was successful enough that more buses were ordered.

In 1955 Vancouver celebrated sixty-five years with electric streetcar service. Vancouverites have always aimed high and expected great things. In fact we had electric streetcar service two years before Toronto or Montreal did.

This sign at a bus stop lets the passengers know how long they have to wait for the next bus.

Greater Vancouver Transit System ran from 1983 to 1999 before being taken over by the present company Translink, The Regional Tansportation Network. Translink  is in charge of the Skytrain, Seabus, Albion Ferry, major roads and bridges, West Coast Express and the AirCare emission testing program for cars.

Quite a lot of ground they cover. There are other subsidiary companies operating under the umbrella. Like the Skytrain is operated by the British Columbia Rapid Transit Company.

When I first moved back here from Calgary I found the Skytrain to be a pleasant change. The CTrain in Calgary runs on street level and has to make certain concessions for traffic. Here the commuter train is mostly above ground level.

Interesting fact. Up until mid 1933 the CPR's trains ran along the street level through downtown Vancouver and caused all sorts of problems. On July 16 a tunnel was opened. This elongated 's' curve underground pathway is 4,579 feet long and serviced the CPR for nearly fifty years. Now it is used by the Skytrain. The tunnel is about 18 to 24 metres below ground although at some places the tunnel comes a lot closer - six metres below the pavement.

The Skytrain is also not operated by a driver but rather is an automated system. During the last days of the previous century we were hearing all sorts of doomday stories about how computers and such were going to go haywire at the stroke of midnight. I had visions of the Skytrain travelling the Skybridge over to Surry and suddenly veering off the rails and plunging into the icy waters of the Fraser River. Fortunately that never happened. Nor did any of the other dire predictions.

Here you can see the wires for the trolley buses as well as a walkway between the Broadway Skytrain Station and the Commercial Drive Skytrain Station.

Skytrain stations seem to everywhere.

Some statistics for Translink I've found are:
832 buses through the Coast Mountain Bus Company
38 buses through the West Vancouver Municipal Transportation Department
244 trolleybuses
150 Skytrain cars
2 SeaBus ferries (2000)
Ridership in 2009 was 187,912,227.
(I don't know how current some of that info is. One data source was listed as 1999 but it gives an idea of the size of the transit system in Vancouver)

From bus stops to Skytrain Stations to Skybus terminals - transit is alive and well in Vancouver. And the system here spoils us because many places in other parts of North America don't have it so well. We may get annoyed if we have to wait for a bus or train or whatever but most routes run on a pretty good schedule. And when we think about how it must have been in the years past - at least now we don't have to turn a hand crank to get the bus going - we are very fortunate.

So maybe take a moment, whereever you may be, and give a nod to transit. Without them there would be more vehicles on the road, more accidents, more traffic congestion and more pollution. If you are fortunate enough to live in an area with transit then enjoy it.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Translink, Skytrain,Seabus,transit,walk,history,

Bears, Lions and Shoes

This is the Canadian Fairbanks building on Water Street in Gastown. It was built in 1905 for the Canadian Fairbanks Company who supplied machinery and supplies to the logging and mining industry.

This building, like others on the North Side of Water Street, was built on piles. In 1980s it became obvious that the foundations had decayed to the point of collapse. But fortunately in 1987 the building was renovated and saved.

Here is a fine example of making use of existing structures and resurrecting them.

304 Dunlevy Street was originally built as a funeral chapel in 1893 with an addition being added in 1936. But this fine building that is quite large is not longer used to service the dead. In fact it is now used to entertain the living.

This is now a arts and entertainment venue. The interior has been redesigned to accomodate the new purpose but, from what I have read, enough aspects of the original purpose of the building has been kept so that the Chapel stays interesting.

Abrams Block, originally Tremont Hotel then Kings Hotel and then the Klondyke Hotel  and now Abrams Block. This Rennaissance Revival structure was built around 1888. The name of the architect has been lost to history.

This is another building that is listed as being one of the oldest in Vancouver. I wasn't around then, I don't know how much was destroyed by the great fire and I am not going to argue with their facts.

The Leckie Building was built in 1908 and 1913 for a shoe and boot company to use as their factory and sales office. The J. Leckie Company made good use of this heavy timber construction building.

For many years this interesection at Cambie and Water Streets was the very edge of town. In the 1880s Cambie Street was a forest and home to bears, wolves and deer. It was also the hunters from the township of Granville (Gastown) hunted for meals.

Another interesting glimpse of Gastown wouldn't you say?

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Leckie Building, Abrams Block,the Chapel,Tremont Hotel,walk,history,

Magic and History

Yesterday I told you a little about the longest standing brick building in Vancouver. Today I went out and got photos to show you.

I must admit that I have walked by this structure numerous times and have never realized the piece of history I was in the presence of or the magic that was being made behind the imposing doors.

The date I find for this building is 1886. For those of you who are in the know or have been perusing my blog will realize that 1886 is the year that Vancouver was incorporated as a city and the year that a great fire destroyed almost everything.

This example of Victorian Commercial architecture stands quietly in Vancouver's Gastown. The building isn't flashy, it doesn't grab a passerby's attention. It is solid and secure.

The Oppenheimer brothers, particularly David, helped to shape the commercial landscape of the new city.  And it was for them that this warehouse building was built. Interesting note: I just read that this building also served as Vancouver's first City Hall.

In 1991 rock musician Bryan Adams was getting tired of the recording studio in the basement of his home. He allowed other musicians to use it and while that was fine when he was away while he was home the intrusion on his privacy and the noise tended to get to him. So he bought an abandoned, burnt out building in historic Gastown and embarked on a journey like no other.

Adams paid the heavy taxes imposed on the building by the city. He also paid to have it made earthquake proof. Then the fun started. The building was sheared in half and half of it was made into an open air courtyard, parking lot and putting green. The other half is a three storey studio. From the pictures I have seen of the studio it looks gorgeous inside.

I will admit that I have been an admirer of Bryan Adams' music for many years but I have to say when I discovered the work he had put into restoring a piece of Vancouver's history - with his own money I hear - my respect for the man increased. It would have been very easy - and maybe less expensive - for the man to just build something new.

I was scanning an interview conducted with Adams at mixonline when I found a piece of information that shows a little into how Adams thinks. He had kitchens built into each studio so that the artist would not have to take time away from their work and leave to get food.

And when I looked at some of the artists who have made use of the studio I would say details such as that have been much appreciated. I don't think I will ever walk so casually by this building again. Instead I will give it a nod to recognize the magic that is being created behind those walls.

I took this photo because of the decoration but when I downloaded it from my camera I noticed the sitting area above. I wonder who uses that.

Next door to the Warehouse Studios is an Edwardian Commercial style building erected in 1910-1911 and designed by architects Dalton & Eveleigh.

The Pilkington Brothers Glass used this building as their distribution center for all of North America. At the time they were the largest glass manufacturer in the world. Glass would be manufactured in England then shipped via steamboat to Vancouver where it would then be distributed to other parts of North America.

Now this building is home to Steven Hart, Architect; Kareyn Davies and Associates, Interior Design and Planning and Rositich Hemphill & Associates, Architects.

Just across the street is the Commercial Block designed by William Blackmore.

This two storey block was originally constructed in 1893 with nine bays defined by brick and stone banding. The simpler style to the north was constructed sometime between 1905 to 1908 and incorporated three floors.

The original portion of the building was divided into three parts and electric elevators were installed in each. The first in the city.

The west side of the building features the former CPR right-of-way which was very advantageous for offices and warehouses for those who used the rail for transport.

Have a great weekend everyone. I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Bryan Adams, Warehouse Studios,Oppenheimer,mixonline,walk,history,

Did You Know

I am going to do something a little different. Today you will see an array of images of things I see around the city and I am just going to let you know some facts I have managed to glean from certain websites.

Ever wondered about city by-laws? On July 13, 1886 Vancouver City Council passed one that forbid bicycles from exceeding 8 mph. I wonder if bylaw 258 is still on the books?

On July 30, 1886 the M.A. McLean, Vancouver's first fire engine arrived in Port Moody. It was a 5,000 pound Ronald steam pumper with accessories such as four hose reels and 2,500 feet of 2 and 1/2 - inch hose that cost the city $6, 905. It was ordered a week after the Great Fire in June.

It took a four-horse team to haul it from New Westminster to Vancouver where it arrived on August 1. What excitement! The Ronald Steam pumper was state of the art with a reciprocating pump and could throw a stream of water over 150 feet. Since a new firehall was in the process of being built, the fire engine was placed in service 'under a canvas'. There was only one problem. The Vancouver fire department didn't have any horses to pull the pumper therefore it was hauled around town by the firemen.

In September of 1889 the firefighters finally got horses to pull the fire engine.

I took this photo on West Pender, just up from the Sun Tower. What treasures lie under that asphalt I wonder?

In September of 1881 an influential London  newspaper, the London Truth, stated that “British Columbia is not worth keeping. It should never have been inhabited at all. It will never pay a red cent of interest on the money that may be sunk in it.”

Hamilton Street between Hastings and Pender.

On June 29, 1878 Burrard Inlet's first newspaper appeared. The Moodyville Tickler had a short run probably due to its irreverant manner. For example the more money paid the more glowing the obituary would be. Sounds like fun though.

In 1887 William Macdougall's Advertiser began publishing in Vancouver. For a short time there were three daily newspapers in Vancouver. A settlement with a population of about 1,000.

In 1887 the Vancouver City Police got their first badges. They were made of American silver dollars with one side smoothed down and engraved Vancouver City Police and the other had a pin soldered on.

Also in the year 1887 the Oppenheimer family built a warehouse for their food wholesaling business. It still stands today as the oldest brick building in the city and the home to Bryan Adams' recording studio.

The city of Vancouver was incorporated on April 6, 1886. The ceremony was held in Jonathon Miller's house but had to be delayed. They had forgotten to bring paper to write out the details and someone had to go to the stationery store to buy paper.

In 1891 there was a population of about 13,000 in Vancouver. Six years before there were 400 and a year later at the time of incorporation there was 1,000. According to a 2006 census there are 578,041 people living in the city of Vancouver and I am sure it has grown in the last six years.

A lot seemed to happen in 1887. Four women known as the Hallelujah Lassies began an very worthwhile organization here in Vancouver. We know it as the Salvation Army.

July 1 1887 was the day that Vancouver became a customs port of entry.

E.T. Wade proudly became Surrey's first Police Constable in 1887. He was even prouder when a year later they gave him a gun and handcuffs.

Yesterday I said that there is beauty all around us if we look for it. And that is partially what this entry is about. Most of these photos are sitting on my computer because they don't have a story yet or fit in with another story yet I like what I saw. Like this sunflower.

I took this photo on the Friday before Labour Day but it didn't fit in anywhere. But I kept it because it looks so good. Or consider this one.

This is October, the weather is turning colder and the sunny days we have been experiencing lately are to end tomorrow. Yet this flower is as brilliant in color as it was in the spring time. The sheer tenacity, the will it has to continue is something that many of us can aspire to.

That was fun. At least I enjoyed it and I will have to do it again. I have so many facts to relate, so many more photos that are odd ones out and so many more posts.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Bryan Adams, Ronald Steam Pumper,Oppenheimer,Salvation Army,walk,history,

Back Where It Started

I spent today lazing around - trying to restore my energy after my long walk on Monday and the one I took yesterday. But don't worry, I have gone into my files and I am going to revisit Gastown and show you some more of the older buildings there.

The Byrnes Block is at 2 Water Street. Designed by Elmer H. Fisher it was among the first of the brick structures built in Vancouver after the great fire of 1886. Former Barkerville Sheriff and Victoria Real Estate speculator George Byrnes had it built near Gassy Jack Deighton's second saloon which was torn down three years later to make room for the expanding streets.

See the row of chimneys? The block was also home to the Alhambra Hotel one of the fancier in the area at the time. Each room had it's own hot water and a stove or fireplace. Quite ritzy for that time period.

Not far from the Byrnes Block is the Robinson Block, built in 1889 for a Jewish immigrant from Russia, Zebulon Franks.  Franks supply store catered to loggers, fishers and miner travelling around the province. When Franks died the business continued as Y. Franks Appliances which went on to become one of Vancouver's longest operating businesses.

Next to the Robinson Block is the Kane Building built in 1906. Owner Jacob Sam Kane used this structure for both commercial and industrial uses. In 1942 it served the homeless and unemployed as the Beulah Rescue Mission.

The stonework on the second floor is actually precast concrete blocks made to resemble stone. Both the Kane Building and the Robinson Block were rehabilitated in 2006.

Across the street from the previous two structures is what was formerly the 3rd Malkin Warehouse.  A wholesale grocer and general merchant, William Harold Malkin, built three warehouses on Water Street in eight years to keep up with his growning business. The W.H. Malkin Co. made a lot of money off of mining boom in the Kootenays and the Klondike Gold Rush.

The western half of the building was constructed in 1907 and the eastern in 1912. The style with the simple facade and heavy cornice is indictive of the architects Parr and Fee.

This rather unremarkable buiding is located at 68 Water Street - the former home of Louis and Emma Gold's Gold House Hotel built in 1886.  Vancouver's first hotel district was between Carrall and Cambie Streets on the south side of Water Street. That was because during high tide the north side would often be under water. Fortunately the Canadian Pacific Railway filled the area in in the 1890s and took care of that problem.

On this site once stood the Regina Hotel - the only building in Gastown that wasn't destroyed in the great fire of 1886. A small group of men were trapped inside as the fire raged outside and buildings around them actually exploded from the heat. They managed to not only save their lives but the hotel as well. Ten years later the Regina was demolished and replaced by the Edward Hotel, this steel and iron structure that would be more fire resistant.
I hope you find the beauty around you. It is there, you just have to look for it.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Parr and Fee, Byrnes Block,Gastown,Gold Hotel,walk,history,