The Alpen Club is an ethnic cultural organization for German Canadians in Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Its headquarters, community hall and social centre are on Victoria Street

Victoria Street

Victoria Street is the name of several streets in various countries:In Australia:* Victoria Street, Kings Cross* Victoria Street railway station, New South Wales* Victoria Street, Melbourne, Victoria...

 near Kingsway

Kingsway (Vancouver)

Kingsway is a major road that crosses through the Canadian cities of Vancouver and Burnaby, British Columbia. Originally called Westminster Road, it was renamed Kingsway in 1913....

 in East Vancouver

East Vancouver

East Vancouver is a region within the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Geographically, East Vancouver is bordered to the north by Burrard Inlet, to the south by the Fraser River, and to the east by the city of Burnaby...

.

The Alpen Club was founded by Bavarian immigrant Sebastian Schmidt

Sebastian Schmidt

Sebastian Schmidt is a German luger who competed from 1998 to 2007. He won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2006 FIL European Luge Championships in Winterberg, Germany.-References:***...

 as a Schuhplatter dance troupe. In 1935 the Schuhplatter group expanded into the Alpen Club, with which an attached beer garden

Beer garden

Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...

became the social centre for the German community in the city.