Walking Vancouver. John Lee
INTRODUCTION
Unless you’ve lived in Vancouver for more than 200 years, hitting the streets in the city you thought you knew almost everything about can trigger some eye-opening surprises, and raise more than a few questions.
For example: Why is the cenotaph located in what’s now called Victory Square? Where did the first Greenpeace protest launch from? Who died in the old Hotel Georgia? Where is there a marker for the first official visit by a U.S. president, and why is it a memorial? Which much-loved building was once the Canadian headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan? Where is the city’s best hotdog stand? Just how many time capsules are hidden in this city, anyway? And, of course, which are the best bars to visit on a merry trawl around Gastown?
Slip on your (preferably waterproof) walking shoes, tuck this book into your backpack, and you’re on your way to finding out the answers. Just remember one key maxim: slow down and you’ll likely enjoy it a whole lot more.
1 DOWNTOWN: ARTS & ARCHITECTURE
BOUNDARIES: W. Hastings St., Burrard St., W. Georgia St., Howe St.
DISTANCE: ½ mile/¾ kilometre
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARKING: There is an underground parkade at 999 W. Hastings St.—the entrance is on the east side of Burrard. There’s also underground parking at Canada Place, a short walk away.
PUBLIC TRANSIT: The Burrard SkyTrain station is on the west side of Burrard St., just past the intersection with Dunsmuir St. Buses 22, 44, and 98 B-Line also stop along Burrard.
The heart of Vancouver’s latter-day central business district radiates from the W. Hastings St. and Burrard St. intersection. This is where the city’s main bank and corporate headquarters colonize the mirrored glass skyscrapers, sucking in thousands of office workers every weekday—in fact, the area is a virtual ghost town on weekends. But aside from the business of making money, this downtown stretch is also home to some unexpected architectural and artsy features that many Vancouverites pass by every day without even noticing. This walk is all about seeing these familiar streets in a different scratch-beneath-the-surface light. In the process, you’ll come across hidden stained glass windows, historic reminders of near-forgotten buildings, and landmark hotels with surprisingly colorful stories to tell.
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Start at the spectacular Marine Building on the northwest corner of W. Hastings and Burrard Sts. Completed in 1930, when its 321-foot/98-metre height made it the British empire’s tallest building, it vies with City Hall as Vancouver’s |