Timeline of Vancouver history
Encyclopedia
18th century
- 1791 – José María NarváezJosé María NarváezJosé María Narváez was a Spanish naval officer, explorer, and navigator notable for his work in the Pacific Northwest of present-day Canada. In 1791, as commander of the schooner Santa Saturnina, he led the first European exploration of the Strait of Georgia, including a landing on present-day...
explores the Strait of GeorgiaStrait of GeorgiaThe Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately long and varies in width from...
. - 1792 – Captain George VancouverGeorge VancouverCaptain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
spends only one day on the site which, almost 100 years later, would bear his name. Captain George Vancouver from England then took his ship called the HMS DiscoveryHMS Discovery (1789)HMS Discovery was a Royal Navy ship launched in 1789 and best known as the lead ship in George Vancouver's exploration of the west coast of North America in his famous 1791-1795 expedition. She was converted to a bomb vessel in 1798 and participated in the Battle of Copenhagen. Thereafter she...
right into the Burrard InletBurrard InletBurrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided coastal fjord in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the low-lying Burrard Peninsula from the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, home to the communities of West...
.
19th century
- 1808 – Simon FraserSimon Fraser (explorer)Simon Fraser was a fur trader and an explorer who charted much of what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia. Fraser was employed by the Montreal-based North West Company. By 1805, he had been put in charge of all the company's operations west of the Rocky Mountains...
becomes the first European to reach the area overland, descending the river which bears his name. - 1818 – Treaty of 1818Treaty of 1818The Convention respecting fisheries, boundary and the restoration of slaves between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, also known as the London Convention, Anglo-American Convention of 1818, Convention of 1818, or simply the Treaty of 1818, was a...
. - 1846 – The Oregon TreatyOregon TreatyThe Oregon Treaty is a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C. The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing American and British claims to the Oregon Country, which had been jointly occupied by...
permanently established the 49th parallel49th parallel northThe 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
as the boundary between the United States and British North America to the Pacific OceanPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. - 1858 – Fraser Canyon Gold RushFraser Canyon Gold RushThe Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River. This was a few miles upstream from the Thompson's confluence with the Fraser River at present-day Lytton...
began. Gold is found within the Fraser RiverFraser RiverThe Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
and then within a few weeks time, about 25,000 prospectors make their way over for their share of the gold. - 1858 – Colony of British ColumbiaColony of British ColumbiaThe Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1866. At its creation, it physically constituted approximately half the present day Canadian province of British Columbia, since it did not include the Colony of Vancouver Island, the vast and still largely...
established. - 1859 – New Westminster is named the capital of the Colony of British ColumbiaColony of British ColumbiaThe Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1866. At its creation, it physically constituted approximately half the present day Canadian province of British Columbia, since it did not include the Colony of Vancouver Island, the vast and still largely...
.
- 1866 – The Colony of British ColumbiaColony of British ColumbiaThe Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1866. At its creation, it physically constituted approximately half the present day Canadian province of British Columbia, since it did not include the Colony of Vancouver Island, the vast and still largely...
and Colony of Vancouver IslandColony of Vancouver IslandThe Colony of Vancouver Island , was a crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with British Columbia. The united colony joined the Dominion of Canada through Confederation in 1871...
are united as British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish 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...
, with the capital at VictoriaVictoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. - 1867 – Hastings MillHastings MillHastings Mill was a sawmill on the south shore of Burrard Inlet and was the first commercial operation around which the settlement that would become Vancouver developed in British Columbia, Canada....
founded. - 1867 – Gassy Jack opens the first saloon to provide drinks to workers from the Hastings Mill. GastownGastownGastown is a national historic site in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the northeast end of Downtown adjacent to the Downtown Eastside. Its historical boundaries were the waterfront , Columbia Street, Hastings Street, and Cambie Street, which were the borders of the 1870 townsite survey, the proper...
then builds up around this popular saloon. - 1867 – Weekly stage service is established between the Brighton Hotel, a popular summer vacation spot which is located just west of the Second Narrows BridgeSecond Narrows BridgeThe Second Narrows Bridge is a vertical lift railway bridge that crosses the Burrard Inlet and connects Vancouver with the North Shore. As the name suggests, it is located at the second narrowing of the Burrard Inlet....
and New Westminster. - 1869 – GastownGastownGastown is a national historic site in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the northeast end of Downtown adjacent to the Downtown Eastside. Its historical boundaries were the waterfront , Columbia Street, Hastings Street, and Cambie Street, which were the borders of the 1870 townsite survey, the proper...
is surveyed as Granville Townsite. - 1872 – Louis Gold is the first JewJews and Judaism in VancouverThe history of the Jews in Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada has been noted since the mid-19th century....
among the merchants of newly emergent Gastown, opening a general store on the waterfront. - 1885 – The last spikeLast Spike (Canadian Pacific Railway)The Last Spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was the final spike driven into the Canadian Pacific Railway at Craigellachie, British Columbia at 9:22 am on November 7, 1885...
of the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CPR) from MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to Vancouver is driven at Craigellachie, British ColumbiaCraigellachie, British ColumbiaCraigellachie is a locality in British Columbia, located several kilometres to the west of the Eagle Pass summit between Sicamous and Revelstoke...
. - 1886 – The Town of Granville is incorporated as the City of Vancouver (the name was in fact chosen by the President of Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
). Rate-payers elect Malcolm Alexander MacLeanMalcolm Alexander MacLeanMalcolm Alexander MacLean was the first Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, serving from 1886 to 1887. He beat his opponent, sawmill manager Richard H. Alexander, by 17 votes.- References :...
, a real estate dealer, as the first mayor of Vancouver. The city has a population of about 1,000 people. - 1886 – The Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
’s first transcontinental train from Montreal arrives in Port Moody. The very first Granville Street BridgeGranville Street BridgeThe Granville Street Bridge is an eight lane bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia. It spans False Creek and is 27.4 metres above Granville Island. It is part of Highway 99.-History:...
was completed and then another bridge was built later in 1909. - 1886 – Great Vancouver FireGreat Vancouver FireThe Great Vancouver Fire was a conflagration that destroyed most of the newly incorporated city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on 13 June 1886. The fire began as a brush fire to clear land between present-day Main and Cambie Streets that was spread out of control by a strong gale...
. - 1886 – Vancouver General HospitalVancouver General HospitalVancouver General Hospital is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest facility in the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre group of medical facilities...
opened on Pender Street. - 1886 – Vancouver Police DepartmentVancouver Police DepartmentThe Vancouver Police Department is the police force for the City of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the province after RCMP "E" Division.VPD was the first Canadian police force...
formed. - 1886 – Vancouver Rowing ClubVancouver rowing clubVancouver Rowing Club is a rowing club in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Originally formed in 1886 as the Vancouver Boating Club, the first clubhouse was built a year later. In 1890 one of the city's early athletic rivalries began when the Burrard Inlet Rowing Club built its headquarters just...
formed. - 1887 – Vancouver Board of TradeVancouver Board of TradeThe Vancouver Board of Trade is a non-profit organization which seeks to "promote, enhance and facilitate the development of the region as a Pacific centre for trade, commerce and travel." It serves Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in a fashion similar to the Board of Trade or Chamber of...
incorporated. - 1887 – The Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
extends its line westward from the terminus at Port Moody to Vancouver. - 1887 – Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
’s Engine 374Engine 374Engine No. 374 was the steam engine which pulled the first transcontinental train to arrive in Vancouver, arriving on May 23, 1887. This was a year after its sister Engine No. 371 brought first Canadian Pacific Railway train to cross Canada into Port Moody. No...
brings the first transcontinental train into Vancouver. - 1887 – British mail liner SS AbyssiniaSS AbyssiniaThe Abyssinia was a British mail liner originally operated by the Cunard Line on the Liverpool–New York route. She later served the Guion Line on the same route and the Canadian Pacific Line in the Pacific...
arrives. - 1888 – Vancouver Daily WorldVancouver Daily WorldThe Vancouver Daily World was a newspaper once published in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was founded in 1888 by John McLagan, the editor of the paper. In 1901, when John McLagan died, his widow, Sara Anne McLagan, became the first woman publisher of a daily newspaper in Canada...
newspaper founded. - 1888 – The real estate board formed.
- 1888 – Stanley ParkStanley ParkStanley Park is a 404.9 hectare urban park bordering downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was opened in 1888 by David Oppenheimer in the name of Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor-General of Canada....
opens. - 1889 – The original Granville Street BridgeGranville Street BridgeThe Granville Street Bridge is an eight lane bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia. It spans False Creek and is 27.4 metres above Granville Island. It is part of Highway 99.-History:...
is completed. - 1890 – The original Brockton PointBrockton PointBrockton Point is located in Vancouver harbour at the east end of Stanley Park. It is named after Francis Brockton. Brockton Point Lighthouse, an automated light, is located at the point....
Lighthouse is built. The current structure was built in 1914.
- 1897 – The Klondike Gold RushKlondike Gold RushThe Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
boosts a continent-wide depression of the 1890s. By 1900, Vancouver displaces VictoriaVictoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, the provincial capital, as the leading commercial centre on Canada's west coast. - 1898 – The 9 O'Clock Gun9 O'Clock GunThe 9 O'Clock Gun is a cannon located in Vancouver, British Columbia that is shot every night at 21:00 PT. The crests of King George III and Henry Phipps, 1st Earl of Mulgrave, Master-General of the Ordnance at the time the cannon was cast, are on the barrel.The gun is a 12-pound muzzle-loaded...
is placed at Brockton PointBrockton PointBrockton Point is located in Vancouver harbour at the east end of Stanley Park. It is named after Francis Brockton. Brockton Point Lighthouse, an automated light, is located at the point....
(it still signals the time by being discharged every evening at 9:00 p.m. precisely). - 1898 – The ProvinceThe ProvinceThe Province is a daily, tabloid format newspaper published in British Columbia by Postmedia. It has been a daily newspaper since 1898.According to a recent NADbank survey, The Provinces average weekday readership was 520,100, making it British Columbia's most read newspaper...
newspaper founded. - 1898 – J. S. MatthewsJ. S. MatthewsMajor James Skitt Matthews was the City of Vancouver's first archivist and an early historian and chronicler of the city; Major Matthews also refers to a building named in his honour in Vanier Park, Vancouver, Canada.Born in Wales, Matthews lived for a time in New Zealand before settling in...
, later City Archivist, settles in Vancouver.
20th century
- 1903 – Woodward's buildingWoodward's buildingThe Woodward's building was a historic building in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1903 for the Woodward's Department Store when that area of Cordova Street was the heart of Vancouver's retail shopping district. ...
constructed. - 1905 – Asiatic Exclusion LeagueAsiatic Exclusion LeagueThe Asiatic Exclusion League, often abbreviated AEL, was a racist organization formed in the early twentieth century in the United States and Canada that aimed to prevent immigration of people of East Asian origin.-United States:...
formed. - 1907 – Spencer's department store opened at Richards & Hastings (later Eaton's).
- 1908 – B.C. Legislature passes legislation establishing the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC). - 1909 – The Dominion BuildingDominion BuildingThe Dominion Building , is a commercial building in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located on the edge of Gastown , it was Vancouver's first steel-framed high-rise. At 53 m , the thirteen-storey, Second Empire style building was the tallest commercial building in the British Empire upon its...
is the first skyscraper built at HastingsHastings Street (Vancouver)Hastings Street is one of the most important east-west traffic corridors in the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, and used to be a part of the decommissioned Highway 7A...
and CambieCambie StreetCambie Street is a street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is named for Henry John Cambie, chief surveyor of the Canadian Pacific Railway's western division ....
, (it's still standing). - 1910 – The first Pacific National ExhibitionPacific National ExhibitionThe Pacific National Exhibition is a non profit organization which hosts an annual 17-day summer fair, seasonal amusement park, and arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It usually begins in mid-to-late August, and ends in early September, usually Labour Day.-History:The exhibition has been...
held in Hastings ParkHastings ParkHastings Park is located in the northeast sector of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in a neighbourhood called Hastings-Sunrise. Its name references Hastings, B.C., also known as New Brighton, which lay at the end of the Douglas Road from New Westminster, founded as a resort and watering-hole...
. - 1911 – The Denman ArenaDenman ArenaDenman Arena was the main sports arena located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. The arena was located on Denman Street in Vancouver's West End, at the northwest corner of West Georgia Street and Denman. It was built at a cost of $300,000 in 1911 and held 10,500 people, making it one of the...
, an artificial ice rink, opens to the public; home to the Vancouver MillionairesVancouver MillionairesThe Vancouver Millionaires were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926...
professional hockey club. - 1913 – A world-wide depression lasts two years and severely reduces trade and slows railway development. Declining resources also end a provincial mining boom.
- 1914 – Komagata Maru incident
- 1915 – University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC) opens its Fairview district campus on the site of Vancouver General Hospital. - 1916 – Vancouver Technical Secondary SchoolVancouver Technical Secondary SchoolVancouver Technical Secondary School, often referred to as Van Tech, is located on the East Side of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-History:...
opened. - 1916 – Lost LagoonLost LagoonLost Lagoon is an artificial, captive 16.6-hectare body of water, west of Georgia Street, near the entrance to Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canada. Surrounding the lake is a trail, and it features a lit fountain that was erected by Robert Harold Williams to commemorate the city's golden jubilee...
transformed by the construction of the Stanley Park Causeway. - 1918 – Vancouver general strike1918 Vancouver general strikeThe 1918 Vancouver General Strike was the first general strike in Canadian history and was held 2 August 1918. It was organized as a one-day political protest against the killing of draft evader and labour activist Albert "Ginger" Goodwin, who had called for a general strike in the event that any...
. - 1919 – Canadian National Railway station completed.
- 1919 – Real Estate Board of Greater VancouverReal Estate Board of Greater VancouverThe Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver , founded in 1919, is the third largest real estate board in Canada with 9400 Realtors.-History:* 1888 - first real estate board in Canada, formed in Vancouver* 1919 - Vancouver Real Estate Exchange formed...
founded. - 1920 – Growth resumes and Vancouver soon replaces WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
as the leading city in western Canada. - 1923 – Vancouver and District Waterfront Workers' AssociationVancouver and District Waterfront Workers' AssociationThe Vancouver and District Waterfront Association was the union for longshoremen working on Vancouver's waterfront between 1923 and 1935.It was established as a company union by the Shipping Federation of British Columbia after it defeated a strike and broke the local of the International...
established. - 1925 – The original Second Narrows BridgeSecond Narrows BridgeThe Second Narrows Bridge is a vertical lift railway bridge that crosses the Burrard Inlet and connects Vancouver with the North Shore. As the name suggests, it is located at the second narrowing of the Burrard Inlet....
connects the city with North VancouverNorth Shore (Greater Vancouver)"Vancouver's North Shore" is a term commonly used to refer to several areas adjacent to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada:*the District of West Vancouver;*the City of North Vancouver;*the District of North Vancouver; and...
. - 1925 – University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC) moves from Fairview to its permanent home in Point Grey.
- 1926 – The Orpheum Theatre opens to the public.
- 1927 – Charles LindberghCharles LindberghCharles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
refused to include Vancouver in his North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n tour because of the lack of a proper airport. Two years later, the city purchased land on Sea Island for aviation purposes; it is the location of Vancouver International AirportVancouver International AirportVancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
. - 1929 – Vancouver amalgamates with the municipalities of Point Grey and South Vancouver.
- 1930s – Relief Camp Workers' UnionRelief Camp Workers' UnionThe Relief Camp Workers' Union was the union into which the inmates of the Canadian government relief camps were organized in the early 1930s. It was affiliated with the Workers' Unity League, the trade union umbrella of the Communist Party of Canada...
organized. - 1934 – Malkin Bowl presents the first performance of the Vancouver Symphony OrchestraVancouver Symphony OrchestraThe Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra performing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over 240,000 people attend its live performances each year. It was founded in 1930 and plays in 12 venues. Its home is the Orpheum theatre. With an annual operating budget of $9.5 million, it is the...
. - 1935 – Battle of Ballantyne PierBattle of Ballantyne PierBallantyne Pier was the site of a docker's strike in Vancouver, BC, in June 1935. It was a federally owned dock built by the National Harbours Board In 1923, and named for the head of the Harbours Board. There were ongoing strikes on the West Coast of North America in the Depression and it led to...
. - 1935 – Alpen ClubAlpen ClubThe Alpen Club is an ethnic cultural organization for German Canadians in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Its headquarters, community hall and social centre are on Victoria Street near Kingsway in East Vancouver....
founded. - 1936 – The new Vancouver City HallVancouver City HallVancouver City Hall is home to Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia. Located at 453 West 12th Avenue, the building was ordered by the Vancouver Civic Building Committee, designed by architect Fred Townley and Matheson, and built by Carter, Halls, Aldinger and Company...
at 12th and Cambie is completed. - 1937 – Non-Partisan AssociationNon-Partisan AssociationThe Non-Partisan Association is a civic-level electoral organization in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There are, and have also been in the past, Non-Partisan Association political parties in the nearby municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey.The NPA was established in 1937 to...
established. - 1938 – Bloody Sunday (1938)Bloody Sunday (1938)Bloody Sunday was the conclusion of a month-long "sitdowners' strike" by unemployed men at the main post office in Vancouver, British Columbia...
. - 1938 – The Lions' Gate BridgeLions' Gate BridgeThe Lions Gate Bridge, officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore municipalities of the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and...
opens. - 1939 – The third Hotel Vancouver landmark is completed.
- 1942 – Vancouver Magic CircleVancouver Magic CircleThe Vancouver Magic Circle is one of the world's largest I.B.M. Rings for professional and amateur magicians, with over 150 local and out-of-town members. It is Ring #92 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and an affiliate of the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians...
formed. - 1948 – The first television broadcast is received from Seattle.
- 1954 – Empire Stadium constructed for the British Empire Games.
- 1954 – British Empire and Commonwealth Games1954 British Empire and Commonwealth GamesThe 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Vancouver, in the province of British Columbia in Canada, from 30 July-7 August 1954. These were the first games since the name change from British Empire Games took effect in 1952....
. - 1953 – Vancouver's first TV station, CBUTCBUTCBUT-DT is the CBC's television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and the flagship CBC Television station for the Pacific Time Zone. The station transmits its main terrestrial signal from a tower atop Mount Seymour....
, goes on the air. - 1956 – Vancouver AquariumVancouver AquariumThe Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
opened. - 1958 – Vancouver OperaVancouver OperaVancouver Opera is the second largest performing arts organization in British Columbia and the largest opera company in western Canada.It performs in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre accompanied currently by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, one of two specialized opera orchestras in Canada...
founded. - 1959 – Oakridge Centre, Vancouver Maritime MuseumVancouver Maritime MuseumThe Vancouver Maritime Museum is a Maritime museum devoted to presenting the maritime history of Vancouver, British Columbia, and the Canadian Arctic. Opened in 1959 as a Vancouver centennial project, it is located within Vanier Park just west of False Creek on the Vancouver waterfront. The main...
, Queen Elizabeth TheatreQueen Elizabeth TheatreThe Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a performing arts venue in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Orpheum and the Vancouver Playhouse, it is one of three facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres Department .Formerly the home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, which...
and the Deas Island TunnelGeorge Massey TunnelThe George Massey Tunnel is a highway traffic tunnel in the Metro Vancouver region of southwestern British Columbia. It is located approximately 20 km south of the city centre of Vancouver, British Columbia, and approximately 30 km north of the Canada-U.S...
officially open. - 1960 – Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows CrossingIronworkers Memorial Second Narrows CrossingThe Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, also called the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, is the second bridge constructed at the Second Narrows of Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
opened. - 1962 – Vancouver Playhouse Theatre CompanyVancouver Playhouse Theatre CompanyThe Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company is a regional theatre company, producing plays since 1962. Its first production was The Hostage by Brendan Behan, which opened on October 2, 1963...
founded. - 1963 – The Port of VancouverPort of VancouverThe Port of Vancouver was the name of the largest port in Canada, the largest in the Pacific Northwest, and the largest port on the West Coast of North America by metric tons of total cargo, with 76.5 million metric tons...
ranks first among Canadian ports in tonnage. - 1964 – The BC LionsBC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
football team win the Canadian Football League’s Grey CupGrey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
. - 1967 – The Greater Vancouver Regional DistrictGreater Vancouver Regional DistrictMetro Vancouver is the brand name of the board of the inter-municipal administrative body known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District , a regional district in British Columbia, Canada...
was established. - 1967 – Vancouver MagazineVancouver MagazineVancouver Magazine is an English-language lifestyle magazine focused on Vancouver, British Columbia and the Lower Mainland.Vancouver Magazine describes its mission as informing, guiding and entertaining residents of a "dynamic, international city."...
founded. - 1970 – The Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
play its first game in the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
in the Pacific ColiseumPacific ColiseumPacific Coliseum is an indoor arena, at Hastings Park, in Vancouver, British Columbia.Completed in 1968, at the former site of the Pacific National Exhibition, the arena currently holds 16,281, for ice hockey, though capacity at its opening was 15,713....
. - 1971 – Gastown RiotsGastown RiotsThe Gastown Riot, also known as "The Battle of Maple TreeSquare," occurred in Vancouver, Canada, on August 7, 1971.Following weeks of arrests by undercover drug squad members in...
- 1971 – Vancouver School of TheologyVancouver School of TheologyVancouver School of Theology, located on the campus of the University of British Columbia, is a multi-denominational graduate school known for its theological innovations while being rooted in Christian traditions...
established. - 1971 – The 10 km pedestrian seawall at Stanley ParkStanley ParkStanley Park is a 404.9 hectare urban park bordering downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was opened in 1888 by David Oppenheimer in the name of Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor-General of Canada....
officially opens. GastownGastownGastown is a national historic site in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the northeast end of Downtown adjacent to the Downtown Eastside. Its historical boundaries were the waterfront , Columbia Street, Hastings Street, and Cambie Street, which were the borders of the 1870 townsite survey, the proper...
and Chinatown are designated as historic districts by the Provincial GovernmentExecutive Council of British ColumbiaThe Executive Council of British Columbia is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
. - 1971 – Vancouver Science Fiction Convention organized for the first time.
- 1972 – Vancouver MarathonVancouver MarathonThe BMO Vancouver Marathon is an annual race held on the first Sunday of May each year in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada . As the 2nd largest international marathon event in Canada, it has a certified running distance of 26 miles and 385 yards long. The most recent marathon saw over 14,000...
started. - 1973 – Granville SquareGranville SquareGranville Square is a prominent tower located at 200 Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver's Financial District. Completed in 1973, it stands at 142 m or 30 storeys high, making it one of the tallest buildings in the city...
completed. The control tower of Vancouver Harbour Water Airport is located in top of it. - 1974 – The refurbished steam locomotive Royal HudsonRoyal HudsonThe term Royal Hudson refers to a group of semi-streamlined 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotives owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway and built by Montreal Locomotive Works . The engine was built in 1938. In 1939, King George VI allowed the CPR to use the term after Royal Hudson number 2850 transported...
has its inaugural run. - 1978 – Vancouver International Children's Festival debuted.
- 1979 – The Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL)Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL)The original Vancouver Whitecaps were founded on December 11, 1973 and during the 1970s and 1980s played in the North American Soccer League . The Whitecaps achieved success, winning the 1979 Soccer Bowl. The Whitecaps of that era included international players such as Alan Ball, but also "home...
win the North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
championship. - 1981 – Vancouver Men's ChorusVancouver Men's ChorusThe Vancouver Men's Chorus is a non-profit choir. Composed of gay men and their friends, the chorus aims to promote community spirit and a positive image of the gay community...
debuted. - 1982 – Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver International Film FestivalThe Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
began. - 1983 – BC Place StadiumBC Place StadiumBC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
opens. The world's largest air-supported Dome (60,000 seats) is the home of the BC LionsBC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
football team as well as trade shows, large gatherings, and major star concerts. - 1984 – Vancouver International Jazz FestivalVancouver International Jazz FestivalThe Vancouver International Jazz Festival is an annual summer event in Vancouver, Canada.The festival grew out of a local jazz scene that centred around Vancouver Co-op Radio , a community radio station, in the early 1980s...
established. - 1985 – SkyTrainSkyTrain (Vancouver)SkyTrain is a light rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks, running mostly on elevated guideways, which helps SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability...
opens with much of its route being along that of the city's first public transit system, the 1891 interurban. - 1986 – Vancouver celebrates its centennial by hosting Expo 86Expo 86The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
on the north shore of False CreekFalse CreekFalse Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver. It separates downtown from the rest of the city. It was named by George Henry Richards during his Hydrographic survey of 1856-63. Science World is located at its eastern end and the Burrard Street Bridge crosses its western end. False Creek is...
. - 1986 – Vancouver Police Museum established.
- 1986 – Vancouver Recital SocietyVancouver Recital SocietyThe Vancouver Recital Society is one of Vancouver’s major presenters of classical and chamber music, offering a platform for fans to see both new and established, high profile talent perform in the best venues in Vancouver....
is launched. - 1986 – King David School, VancouverKing David School, VancouverKing David High School or KDHS is a pluralistic Jewish community high school with comprehensive general and Judaic programs.-Facility:...
founded. - 1986 – Canada PlaceCanada PlaceCanada Place is a building situated on the Burrard Inlet waterfront of Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the home of the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver's World Trade Centre, and the world's first permanent IMAX 3D theatre . The building's exterior is covered by...
opened. - 1989 – Skybridge (TransLink) built.
- 1990 – Vancouver Learning Network debuted.
- 1992 – Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services SocietyVancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services SocietyVancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society is a non-profit society that provides free social services to Aboriginal people living in the Metro Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada...
incorporated. - 1993 – Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences CentreVancouver Hospital and Health Sciences CentreVancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The VHHSC is the second largest hospital in Canada, with 1,900 beds and nearly 116,000 patients each year. VHHSC employs 9500 staff and utilizes 1000 volunteers...
formed. - 1994 – The Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
hockey team reach the Stanley Cup Finals1994 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
for the second time in twelve years, only to lose out to the New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Fans riot in the streets of downtown Vancouver following the loss. The BC LionsBC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
football team win the Grey CupGrey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
. - 1994 – Stanley Cup riot1994 stanley cup riotThe 1994 Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot occurred in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on the evening of June 14, 1994 and continued into the following morning...
. - 1995 – West Coast ExpressWest Coast ExpressWest Coast Express is the interregional commuter railway in British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, it links Mission, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, and Port Moody with Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver, where it interchanges with SkyTrain rapid transit, SeaBus and...
opened. - 1995 – A new Vancouver Public LibraryVancouver Public LibraryThe Vancouver Public Library is the third largest public library system in Canada, with more than 2.5 million items in its collections, 22 branches, approximately 375,000 cardholders, and nearly nine million item borrowings annually...
building is constructed in the shape of a Roman Coliseum. General Motors PlaceGeneral Motors PlaceRogers Arena Rogers Arena Rogers Arena (nicknamed "The Phone Booth" and "The Cable Box" and also "The Garage" (when it was called GM Place) is an indoor sports arena located at 800 Griffiths Way in the downtown area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
, a new hockey, basketball and entertainment complex opens. The Vancouver GrizzliesVancouver GrizzliesThe Vancouver Grizzlies were a professional basketball team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Toronto Raptors, as part of the NBA's...
basketball team plays its inaugural season. The Ford Centre for the Performing Arts also opens to the public. - 1996 – The Vancouver International AirportVancouver International AirportVancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
expands its terminal and adds a third runway. - 1997 – CIVT-TVCIVT-TVCIVT-DT is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, it is part of the CTV Television Network...
goes on the air. - 1998 – Vancouver Downtown Historic RailwayVancouver Downtown Historic RailwayThe Vancouver Downtown Historic Railway is a heritage streetcar line that operates between Granville Island and the Cambie Station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It operates only on weekends and holidays, usually from May to mid-October, and is aimed primarily at tourists...
inaugurated. - 1998 – Vancouver International Dance FestivalVancouver International Dance FestivalThe Vancouver International Dance Festival is an annual, month-long contemporary dance festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia. The festival, produced by Kokoro Dance Theatre Society, began in 1998 as a Butoh Festival...
established.
- 2000 – Vancouver CanadiansVancouver CanadiansThe Vancouver Canadians are a minor league baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadians are the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The C's have previously affiliated with the Oakland Athletics between 2000-2010. They are the only Canadian team in the...
founded.
21st century
- 2001 – British Columbia TV realignment
- 2003 – Vancouver is selected as the Host City for 2010 Olympic Winter Games2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. - 2003 – U-Pass (Vancouver)U-Pass (Vancouver)Translink U-Pass, as part of U-Pass BC program, is a student public transportation monthly pass valid on the TransLink system in the Metro Vancouver, British Columbia....
implemented. - 2004 – Vancouver International Digital FestivalVancouver International Digital FestivalThe Vancouver International Digital Festival is an annual event for creative professionals working in digital media. Held for the last four years in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the event includes an international business partnering forum, industry parties, digital entertainment...
debuted. - 2005 – Vancouver International Film CentreVancouver International Film CentreThe Vancouver International Film Centre houses the 175-seat Vancity Theatre, along with a production room and offices for the Vancouver International Film Festival...
completed. - 2006 – World Urban Forum IIIWorld Urban Forum IIIWorld Urban Forum III was an international UN-Habitat event on urban sustainability, also known as WUF3 and FUM3 . WUF3 was organized by the UN-Habitat and facilitated and funded by the Government of Canada...
- 2006 – Vancouver International Burlesque FestivalVancouver International Burlesque FestivalThe Vancouver International Burlesque Festival is an annual event taking place over three days and featuring dancers, comedians and musicians. The festival debuted in February 2006....
debuted. - 2006 – 2006 storms in Vancouver
- 2007 – Robert Dziekański Taser incidentRobert Dziekanski Taser incidentRobert Dziekański was a Polish immigrant to Canada who died on October 14, 2007, after being tasered five times by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at Vancouver International Airport....
- 2009 - Canada LineCanada LineCanada Line is a rapid transit line in the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. Opened in August 2009, it is the third line in TransLink's SkyTrain metro network, servicing Vancouver, Richmond, and the Vancouver International Airport...
Opens connecting downtown to YVRVancouver International AirportVancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
and RichmondRichmond, British ColumbiaRichmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border... - 2010 – Winter Olympics2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. - 2011 - The Vancouver Canucks hockey team reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the third time in 40 years, only to lose out to the Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. Fans riot in the streets of downtown Vancouver following the loss.
See too
- Timeline of Canadian historyTimeline of Canadian historyThis is a timeline of the history of Canada.*Years BC*Early years AD*1000s*1400s*1500s*1600s: 1600s - 1610s - 1620s - 1630s - 1640s - 1650s - 1660s - 1670s - 1680s - 1690s*1700s: 1700 - 1701 - 1702 - 1703 - 1704 - 1705 - 1706 - 1707 - 1708 - 1709...
- History of VancouverHistory of VancouverVancouver is a city in British Columbia, Canada. With its location near the mouth of the Fraser River and on the waterways of the Strait of Georgia, Howe Sound, Burrard Inlet, and their tributaries, Vancouver has, for thousands of years, been a place of meeting, trade and settlement.The presence...