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The brainchild of Lt. Commander J.W. Hobbs of Toronto, it was opened on 7 October 1930, and at 97.8 metres (321 ft) (22 floors) it was the tallest skyscraper in the city until 1939.
The Marine Building in downtown Vancouver is one of the world’s most exquisite examples of art deco architecture. When it opened in 1930, it had the distinction of being the tallest building in the British Empire.
According to the architects, McCarter & Nairne, the building was intended to evoke "some great crag rising from the sea, clinging with sea flora and fauna, tinted in sea-green, touched with gold.”
The building cost $2.3 million to build – $1.1 million over budget—but due to the Great Depression it was sold to the Guinness family of Ireland for only $900,000. The 2016 property assessment is $90 million.
By 1931, only a year after the building opened, its owners were willing to sell it to the city for its new city hall for about the same as, and maybe even a little less than it had cost them to build. But that deal fell through.
By 1933, the owners knew they were licked. They sold the building to British Pacific Building Co. (owned by the Guinness brewing people) for $900,000. Stimson had taken a million-dollar bath.
There was an observation deck, but during the depression in the 1930s the 25-cent admission price proved unaffordable for most. Currently, there are no public galleries in the building.
A.J.T. Taylor, who was managing director of British Pacific, moved into the building's penthouse with his wife and had a tiny elevator built to connect it with the 18th floor. They had a lavish apartment looking over the city but Mrs. Taylor eventually decided she didn't like heights, so they moved out.
The Marine Building penthouse is the stuff of legend, a masterpiece outfitted in the latest 1930s decor. It had a 17-foot-high ceiling in the living room, a spiral staircase leading to two bedrooms on the mezzanine level, a marble fireplace, wood-panelled walls, teak floors and elaborately tiled bathrooms.
There are all sorts of stories attached to the penthouse. One is that Taylor never actually lived in it because his wife didn't like living so high in the sky. The Taylors did in fact live in a house in West Vancouver, but Don Luxton (Vancouver Heritage buff) says the real reason Mrs. Taylor didn't want to live there was because as an office building the Marine Building shut down at night, leaving the Taylors marooned 300 feet above the city.
"They shut the elevators down at night," he says. "They couldn't get down unless they walked down."
Another story is that Taylor once took a pony up to the penthouse terrace to entertain his kids. Atkin says this is true, but it's been spun into another yarn that is a little more far-fetched.
"There is a tourism publication that says businessmen in downtown Vancouver used to meet up there for horse races, and that they had a horse-racing track on the roof," says Atkin. "Which is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever read."
Taylor moved to New York at the start of the Second World War, and in 1941 the penthouse was rented to a Mrs. Mary Fisher. Not much is known about her, but local theatre legend Norman Young recalls that her son had some wicked "Shaughnessy bathtub parties" at the penthouse in the early 1940s.
"They were social parties in the '40s," explains Young with a laugh. "Everybody would get drunk at the party and you'd cram into the bathtub as many people as you could, and then move on to the next bathroom. It was a way of mixing singles.
"But it could only take place in the mansions in Shaughnessy [because they had several bathrooms]. I think [the penthouse] had three bathrooms, but they weren't enough for a good party."
The Fishers moved out in 1944 and the penthouse was converted to an office by the Spencer department store family in 1947. It's now occupied by Sun Gold Mining company.
It seems appropriate that the longest-lasting of the building's tenants was the architectural firm that designed it: McCarter and Nairne. They moved in as soon as space was available and moved out in February of 1980, a tenancy just five months short of 50 years.
Inside the massive brass-doored elevators the walls are inlaid with 12 varieties of local hardwoods. All over the walls and polished brass doors are depictions of sea snails, skate, crabs, turtles, carp, scallops, seaweed and sea horses, as well as the transportation means of the era. The floor presents the zodiac signs. The exterior is studded with flora and fauna, tinted in sea-green and touched with gold.
During a renovation from 1982-1989 to update the electrical, mechanical and air-conditioning systems, the "battleship linoleum" (imported from Scotland) in the lobby was replaced with marble. The former Merchant Exchange was also gutted, and is now a restaurant called Tractor Foods. This building was also the management centre for Oneworld, of one of the three largest airline alliances in the world, from its founding in May 2000 until it was relocated to New York City in June 2011.
This was taken off the west coast of British Colombia, Canada. I was on a cruise ship that departed from Seattle, Washington and we're bound for Ketchikan, Alaska.
It was cool and humid with a light mist, hence the low contrast, especially in the distant areas.
Filming in the park.
This image is 7 years old. Such cameras are extinct now.
Thunderbird Park, Victoria, British Colombia, Canada (Monday 14 September 2009)
This building is the latest addition to the rapidly changing face of Vancouver's Chinatown. The edges of the community are seeing increasing numbers of buildings razed for new condo construction. A block west of here on Main Street between Georgia and Keefer is seeing the entire east side of the street under construction and the lot north of Keefer on Main the same thing.
This building on East Georgia is not the first new one on the block between Main and Gore and two more are underway.
It may be difficult for some businesses to hold on unless the new residents shop local as the pressure to sell for big profit may be too tempting. Hopefully city rezoning practices will save the community.
Vancouver's Chinatown is the largest in Canada and the second largest in North America after San Francisco and was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2010.
In the last year or two efforts have been made to revitalize the historical Chinatown. The City of Vancouver along with provincial and federal departments and the local Chinese business and cultural communities have joined to contribute to this initiative.
HERITAGE VALUE: - From "Canada's Historic Places"
Vancouver’s Chinatown was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in June 2010 because:
- one of the oldest and largest Chinatowns in the country, its physical fabric, its development as a self-segregated enclave, due in part to racially motivated hostility elsewhere in the city prior to the Second World War, and its ongoing uses reflect the many contributions and struggles of Chinese Canadians throughout most of their history in this country;
- it [Vancouver’s Chinatown] is characterized by a distinctive “recessed balcony” style of architecture, a hybrid style that blends aspects of Chinese regional architecture with western styles and building methods that is seen most clearly in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Common architectural features include deeply recessed balconies, a strong verticality, mezzanines, and a separate, narrow door at grade leading to a deep staircase to the upper floors. These features taken together create a harmonious ensemble; and,
- Chinatown is one of the earliest established communities of Vancouver and has remained a vital element of the physical and cultural history of the city.
In addition, the heritage value of Vancouver’s Chinatown lies in its ties to the development of the social and cultural life of Chinese immigrants to British Columbia and Canada, and to the commercial activities of Vancouver’s original business and port districts. The district is defined by its form, embellishments, layout and architecture. Incorporated in 1886, Vancouver became a major point of entry for new Chinese immigrants, many of whom settled in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Chinese labourers were granted a 160-acre lease and built their settlement along Main Street at East Pender. In the early 1900s, Vancouver’s Chinatown became Canada’s leading Chinatown, remaining so until the 1970’s. Within the district’s streetscapes the 70 contiguous properties are a mix of commercial, residential and cultural buildings, alleys and courtyards, many dating from the early 20th century. Significant newer cultural resources, such as the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Classical Garden and Park (1986), the Chinese Cultural Centre (1981-86) and the Millennium Gate (2002), enhance the traditional Chinese character of the area.
Protected since 1971 under provincial and municipal heritage legislation, the area has 24 properties listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register. Vancouver’s Chinatown displays a continuity and connection to its past, and – as a working urban neighbourhood - offers lively contrasts between its peaceful public garden, distinctive buildings and colourful street-life.
A brief history of Chinatown
Neighbourhood dates back to mid- 1880s, making it almost as old as Gastown
The Vancouver Sun November 15, 2014
Chinatown is as old as the City of Vancouver. Thousands of Chinese labourers were imported to Canada to build the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s, and some of them settled around Carrall and Dupont ( now Pender) when the railway was finished.
Initially Chinatown was concentrated in the two blocks between Carrall and Westminster ( now Main), but by the 1920s it had spread east to Gore and south to Union.
The neighbourhood was designated a provincial heritage district in 1971, after residents rallied to defeat a city plan to put a freeway down Carrall Street.
Many of the designated heritage structures in Chinatown are family association or benevolent society buildings, such as a four- storey structure at 104- 108 East Pender that was built for the Chinese Benevolent Society in 1909.
This summer, the city introduced a $ 2.5 million grant program to help rehabilitate the dozen society- owned Chinatown buildings. But it probably won’t go that far, because restoration costs can run in the millions.
A few years ago, restoration costs could be offset under the heritage density transfer program, where developers purchased “air rights” off owners of heritage buildings. The owners got money to restore the buildings, the developers got the right to add a floor or six to the highrises.
The program proved very successful in Gastown, but the city was alarmed at developers building up banks of unused density, and canned the program.
Retired Vancouver planner Nathan Edelson said devising a heritage incentive program to rehabilitate Chinatown will be tricky.
“The heritage incentives that we had for Gastown worked well for companies that are selling condos, because they’re selling a share of the building,” said Edelson.
“Whereas the incentives for family association ( buildings) need to be very different, because they want to keep their buildings, and keep them affordable. So it needs a different kind of incentive.”
Edelson thinks the province and the federal government will probably have to put in money or incentives to properly restore Chinatown, which was declared a National Historic District in 2011.
The National Historic District was limited to Pender Street between Carrall and Gore. This is bad news for the old buildings on Main, Keefer and Georgia, which could fall to redevelopment.
A converted house that may have dated to 1892 was recently torn down at 245 East Georgia for a nine- storey, 40- unit building, which is being built on a 25- foot wide lot.
In the past, developers had to assemble several lots to build this high, but the city has relaxed the rules for part of Chinatown.
Heritage expert Don Luxton said this could doom many of the small buildings in the neighbourhood.
“If you don’t even have to assemble, you can tear anything down,” he said.
“The problem with that is there is going to be very little ways to preserve something that’s on a smaller lot. It’s just not going to survive.”
City planner Kevin McNaney said there have only been a couple of developments on 25- foot lots to date, including one on an empty lot.
“We haven’t had a lot of development on those small orphan lots, which is why we created some guidelines to create those types of buildings where it’s appropriate,” he said.
“We’re going to have to monitor it to see if the plan is doing what we want it to do, and that’s what council has asked us to do as well, to monitor and evaluate as we move ahead.”
Two old buildings that look to be goners are 730 Main, which was built in 1902- 3, and 796 Main, which dates to 1899.
They are the last remnants of Hogan’s Alley, a historic black neighbourhood that was recently commemorated on a stamp by Canada Post.
Many Vancouverites will know 730 Main as the longtime home of nightspots like Puccini’s, Hogan’s Alley and the Brickyard. McNaney said it used to be on Vancouver’s heritage register, but was taken off in the 1990s.
Bonnis Developments purchased 730 Main for $ 2.3 million last year, and paid $ 4.8 million for two empty lots next door.
No transaction has been officially recorded for 796 Main, which was originally called Westminster House. A small building behind it was built as a cab stand in 1925, and has achieved international renown as a shrine to musician Jimi Hendrix, who spent part of his youth in neighbouring Strathcona.
Developer Kerry Bonnis said that he hasn’t submitted a development proposal to the city just yet. But you can find a design for a new 15- storey, 148unit building at Union and Main on the Studio One Architecture website.
Tosi’s store at 624 Main isn’t part of a redevelopment thus far, but could soon be. Angelo Tosi is 82, and will sell when the price is right.
“Five years ago they offered me two and three- quarter million, a little less than $ 3 million for two lots,” he said.
“The girl next door who owns the property says ‘ Why don’t we sell it as one, all together, instead of 50 ( feet) make it 75 feet and see if we can get more?’ So they went up a half a million, and now they’re squibbling and squabbling. We’re just going step by step.”
Tosi’s building was hooked up to the city’s water supply in 1895, which makes it one of the oldest buildings in the city. The interior is virtually unchanged, with ancient fir shelves, marble counters and bare incandescent light bulbs that hang down from the 18- foot ceiling.
But it isn’t on Vancouver’s heritage register.
The ms Zaandam has swung west in Burrard Inlet and more of the working port comes into view.
The Burrard Inlet is home to Port Metro Vancouver (along with the Fraser River Docks). Several ships anchor daily in the inlet waters waiting for a birth.
The yellow bridge in the background is the Iron Workers Memorial (Second Narrows Crossing) and just behind the green railway bridge.
The first hill beyond the bridges is Burnaby Heights and the taller one Burnaby Mountain, home to Simon Fraser University.
The silos on the right (Viterra) are grain storage facilities.
HARUKA:
IMO: 9367542
MMSI: 636016186
Call Sign: D5EX5
Flag: Liberia (LR)
AIS Type: Cargo
Gross Tonnage: 17518
Deadweight: 21413 t
Length × Breadth: 171.99m × 27.6m
Year Built: 2006
AKILI:
IMO: 9222479
MMSI: 209605000
Call Sign: P3AS9
Flag: Cyprus (CY)
AIS Type: Cargo
Gross Tonnage: 30053
Deadweight: 52301 t
Length × Breadth: 189.99m × 32.26m
Year Built: 2001
This is a one of Canada Post's decommissioned Optical Character Recognition - Reading machines used in the old Vancouver Hamilton Street sorting plant - a mechanical monster!
The machines were used to read the bar code on each letter and send the letter off to the appropriate receptacle.
Canada Post has moved to a $200 million processing centre in Richmond BC adjacent to YVR Intl airport.
The new plant, one of two, the other being in Toronto, can sort 40,000 letters per hour. The new plant houses 10 km of conveyors inside a 65,000 sq metre building.
The plant sorts an average of 4 million pieces per day.
A view of the west addition to the Vancouver Convention Centre in downtown Vancouver. "The Drop" is a public art piece aded as a public amenity during the construction. The water is Coal Harbour used by float plane airlines serving Vancouver Island and points north of Vancouver. The land behind is Deadman Island adjacent to Stanley Park.
THE DROP:
The Drop is a steel sculpture resembling a raindrop by the group of German artists known as Inges Idee, located at Bon Voyage Plaza. The 65-foot (20 m) tall piece is covered with Styrofoam and blue polyurethane. According to Inges Idee, the sculpture is "an homage to the power of nature" and represents "the relationship and outlook towards the water that surrounds us." The Drop was commissioned as part of the 2009 Vancouver Convention Centre Art Project and is owned by BC Pavco.
THE VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE WEST BUILDING:
The West Building opened to the public on April 4, 2009. It effectively tripled the capacity of the convention centre. The building hosted the International Broadcast Centre for the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics.
The Vancouver Convention Centre is one of Canada's largest convention centres. With the opening of the new West Building in 2009, it now has 466,500 ft² (43,340 m²) of meeting space. It is owned by the British Columbia Pavilion Corporation, a crown corporation owned by the government of British Columbia.
DEADMAN'S ISLAND:
Deadman Island is a 3.8 ha island to the south of Stanley Park in Coal Harbour in Vancouver, British Columbia. The indigenous Sḵwxwú7mesh name is "skwtsa7s", meaning simply "island." Officially designated "Deadman Island" by the Geographical Names Board of Canada in 1937. it is commonly referred to as Deadman's Island. Vancouver's Naval Reserve Division, HMCS Discovery, is strategically located on the island in support of the security of Vancouver Harbour. The facility housed the Joint Maritime Operations Centre for the APEC Summit in 1997 and the 2010 Winter Olympics. In addition to the Naval Reserve, RCSCC Corps 47 Captain Vancouver and NLCC Captain Rankin have their weekly parades at HMCS Discovery and the facility houses a naval museum. The island is connected to the mainland of Stanley Park at low tide, as well as via a short timber-structure bridge.
One of Vancouver's first white settlers, John Morton, visited the island in 1862. Morton discovered hundreds of red cedar boxes lashed to the upper boughs of trees and one had evidently fallen and broken to reveal a jumble of bones and a tassel of black hair. The island was the tree-burial grounds of the Sḵwxwú7mesh. Undeterred, Morton took a fancy to the island and attempted to acquire it. He changed his mind when Chief Capilano pointed out that the island was "dead ground" and was a scene of a bloody battle between rival tribes in which some two hundred warriors were killed. It's said that "fire-flower" grew up at once where they fell, frightening the foe into retreat. The macabre name of the island is thought to reflect this history, although the Squamish name is simply skwtsa7s, meaning "island."
Settlers continued to use the island as a cemetery prior to the 1887 opening of Mountain View Cemetery. Between 1888 and 1892, Deadman Island became a quarantine site for victims of a smallpox epidemic and burial ground for those who did not survive.
COAL HARBOUR:
Coal Harbour is the name for a section of Burrard Inlet lying between Vancouver, Canada's downtown peninsula and the Brockton Peninsula of Stanley Park. It has also now become the name of the neighbourhood adjacent to its southern shoreline, which was redeveloped as an upscale high-rise condominium district in the 1990s.
Somewhere in British Colombia, Canada, during the 1950's.
Please go here to see more photographs of the Family Car -
www.flickr.com/photos/69559277@N04/sets/72157628124351754...
Produced from the original negative in my collection.
A thundering torrent of water tumbles from the nearby Daly Glacier over a sheer cliff face for 255m, making it the second-highest waterfall in Canada.
Selon le guide de voyage Ulysse , la route qui mène de Terrace Bc a Prince Rupert Bc est un des plus beau trajet a faire ne voiture au Canada ... Très beau !
There is something definitely wrong with the colors. May be it's time to get my monitor calibrated.
"Takakkaw Falls /ˈtækəkɔː/ is a waterfall located in Yoho National Park, near Field, British Columbia, in Canada. Its highest point is 384 metres (1,260 ft) from its base, making it the second-highest officially measured waterfall in western Canada, after Della Falls on Vancouver Island. However its true "free-fall" is only 254 metres (833 ft).
"Takakkaw", loosely translated from Cree, means something like "it is magnificent". The falls are fed by the Daly Glacier, which is part of the Waputik Icefield. The glacier keeps the volume of the falls up during the warm summer months, and they are a tourist attraction, particularly in late spring after the heavy snow melts, when the falls are at peak condition. The Takakkaw Falls were featured in the 1995 film Last of the Dogmen." - Wikipedia
La qualité de la photo est pauvre mais la scène est l'image parfaite de la vie mouvementée de l'Ours noir ! 2 ours se querellent probablement pour de la nourriture et grimpent dans un bosquet !
Photo prise depuis un zodiac avec une brume qui tombe par intermittence !
The quality of this photo is very poor but this scene is a perfect picture of the Black bear eventful life ! 2 bears quarrel probably about food et climb in a grove !
I got this photo from a zodiac with a small fog falling off and on !