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Read the Full Length Version of the History of Vancouver
The 118-year-old city was once a wild, densely forested and
mountainous coastal area inhabited only by First Nations people and
wildlife. Many events have combined to transform the once wild setting
into the thriving cultural and business centre it is today. Yet the
city retains its natural beauty, now set around a diverse urban core.
And to think it all began with a couple of explorers who recognized
the bountiful resources and spectacular potential of the area.
Before the white tide of fishermen
When British explorer Captain James Cook first arrived here in 1778,
the natives in Nootka Sound mistook the captain and his raggedy crew
for a boatful of strange, transformed salmon. It's no wonder, really;
the First Nations had lived undisturbed for thousands of years. The
region's temperate climate, coastal location and excellent food supply
made it an ideal place for natives to subsist comfortably for most of
the year. Many, including the Musqueam, Kwantlen and Squamish lived
and thrived along the shorelines of Burrard Inlet. But then the white
European settlers came and claimed the land as their own, altering
years of relatively peaceful living.
A British chap and Spanish explorer met up one day
The city's transformation began with explorers seeking the Northwest
Passage, a sea route through northern America. In 1791, Spanish
explorer Jose Maria Narvaez came through the waters but decided not to
go ashore. In June of the following year, two more explorers showed
up. England's Captain George Vancouver led his ship, the sloop H.M.S.
Discovery, into Burrard Inlet and later went on to chart the
area's waters. He exchanged information with Spanish explorer Dionisio
Alcala Galiano, who showed Captain Vancouver maps he had already made
of the area.
Though the British controlled the area, it wasn't until 1808 that they
sent Simon Fraser to set up trading posts in the region. The fur
trade, which was followed by gold rush mania, would forever alter the
region.
A few ambitious settlers and a chatty bar owner
Settlers thrived on fish, lumber, fur and farming. In 1858, gold was
discovered on the Fraser River and, within weeks, nearly 30,000
Americans had flocked to the area in search of bounty. Fearing a
takeover by the Americans, the British declared the mainland a British
colony, thereby keeping the prosperity under its control. In 1859, New
Westminster (once called Sapperton because British sappers were
stationed there) was incorporated and declared the capital of the
province.
Meanwhile, a talkative gentleman named John Deighton pulled his canoe
into Burrard Inlet and decided to capitalize on the area's industry.
The village he founded was eventually named Gastown
after him, the name derived from his loquacious nickname: "Gassy
Jack." Deighton opened up a successful saloon, serving hundreds
of thirsty mill workers and prospectors in the budding town. Gastown
began to fill up with small shops and services. Deighton was more than
just a notorious saloon owner, though. Some historians say he was the
founding father of Vancouver because he had faith in its potential
before anyone else did.
As the population grew, people moved outward to settle in areas now
known as Burnaby and Delta. The first newspaper went to the presses in
1861, and the first hospital was built the following year. In 1865,
the first telegraph lines reached here, and the first message to
travel along its wires announced the assassination of U.S. President
Abraham Lincoln. Other urban staples appeared including a rudimentary
postal system and a stagecoach line for transportation. Extensive
logging soon cleared the area.
Canada was confederated in 1867, and the sweeping effects of this
change were felt almost immediately in Vancouver. One of the pivotal
moments in the history of the city was the extension of the Canadian
Pacific Railway in 1884. The railroad now reached clear across the
country and brought thousands of people to the area to do business and
settle. Rapid development began, and the population grew from 400 to
13,000 in four years.
Arduous beginnings and renewal
In 1886, the city of Vancouverpopulation 1,000was officially
incorporated. Two months later, the Great Fire of 1886, driven by
strong winds, destroyed virtually the entire downtown
area in just 20 minutes. That same day, after the smoke had cleared,
with just half-a-dozen buildings left standing, the citizens of
Vancouver began to rebuild. Buildings erected that year still stand
today. One of the most significant changes brought by the fire was the
transformation of the town's military reserve into the now famous Stanley
Park, the city's oasis. The opening of the Panama Canal, which
facilitated travel, imports and exports to and from Europe, spurred
growth of the city's port, located in one of the world's finest
natural, year-round harbors.
Overzealous mayors, two world wars and the Canucks
By 1928, the Lower Mainland's population had reached more than
150,000. Many memorable mayors governed the growing city; these
included Gerry McGreer. McGreer was an enthusiastic politician who
came into office in the 1930s with election guns blazing. He promised
to eradicate gambling, white slavery, corruption and other issues
important to the city's wealthy residents. He promised the impossible,
but he did succeed in building the Art Deco Vancouver City Hall in
1936.
Like everywhere else, the Great Depression took a toll on the city.
Some growth, however, did occur in the 1930s, including the creation
of the Vancouver
Art Gallery and opening of a steel plant in Burnaby.
World War Two pulled the city out of its economic lull: shipyards,
factories, parts exporting and real estate boomed. Human rights also
got a positive injection when East Indian and Chinese-Canadian
citizens finally got the provincial vote in 1947. Japanese-Canadians
and First Nations people, however, had to wait until 1949 for the same
right.
The 1950s was an era of rapid growth and prosperity, including the
extensive development of suburban Vancouver. The population rose to
800,000 by 1961. The 1960s saw many additions to the city's physical
and cultural portfolio: the B.C. Lion's won the Canadian Football
League's Grey Cup, the Vancouver
Canucks debuted in the National Hockey League, and Simon
Fraser University, the Second Narrows Bridge, 401 Freeway, and the
world-class Whistler
Ski Resort were built.
This young cosmopolitan city has a brief but exciting history. Many
weird and wonderful events have shaped its urban personality, from the
local raiding of the biggest LSD factory in the world to our newfound
reputation as "Hollywood North." The city has become the
third largest in the country, with an international reputation as one
of the best places in the world to live and visit.
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