06 November 2021

historic Gastown in beautiful Vancouver

Vancouver actually started in Gastown, the core of the city na­med for Gassy Jack Deighton. He was a Yorkshire seaman, steam­boat cap­tain and bar­keep who arrived in 1867 to open the area’s first saloon. The town soon prosp­ered as the site of Hastings Mill sawmill and seaport, and quick­ly became a general centre of trade and commerce on Burrard Inlet. It was a tough resort for off-work loggers and fisher­men, plus the men on the sailing ships that came to Gas­town, on the north side of the inlet to load logs and timber.

Gassy Jack Deighton wandered through the wild Coast Salish indigenous lands in 1867 and set up his saloon. Where the whisky barr­els went, the loggers and mill-workers followed Gassy Jack, because of his gen­er­ous drinks. As Vancouver grew out of this rough old neighbourhood, Gastown transform­ed into the city’s commercial and ship­ping hub, its brick ware­­houses and stone struc­t­ures still standing. Now a thriving, diver­se urban community, these historic spaces are home to some of the coun­t­ry’s most creative companies. The neighbour­hood off­ers a recognised mix of hip and heritage, with award-winning restaurants distinctive boutiques, clubs and renowned art galleries.

Outdoor cafes

Today Gastown is an attractive mixture of old and new, casual and pion­eering, welcoming visitors and pro­viding an energetic backdrop for ent­erprising Vancouverites. Today the district re­tains its historic charm, still based around Gassy Jack Deighton’s orig­inal 1867 pub. Vict­or­ian arch­it­­ec­ture retains a fl­our­ishing fashion scene, well curated décor bout­iq­ues and special­ist galleries. It’s a gat­her­ing spot for up-market locals and energet­ic tourists. For outsid­ers, a bird’s eye view from the Vancouver Lookout gives visitors a 360˚ view. A visit to Gas­town should include a stroll along Water St, exam­ining a magical coll­ect­ion of old build­ings, cobble stones, steam clock and vintage lamp posts. Continue to the end of Water St to visit a statue of the Gassy man who started it all. Architecture and history fans, of which I am both, can take organised walking tours of the area to explore further.

statue of Gassy Jack Deighton

Gastown is home to many fine restaurants, including European cuisine with farm fresh flair and Asian-inspired treasures. Another possib­ility is stopping by a wine bar for a cheese and hors-d'œuvre platter. This neighbourhood also has a classy cocktail reputation.

Indigenous art

First Nations art might be a surprise to tourists. See the symbolic designs telling stories, marking events and decorating build­ings throughout the city. Note the sculptures, story poles and other artworks eg Bill Reid’s beautiful killer whale sculpture at the entrance of the Vancouver Aqua­rium. These art works display and explain a un­ique culture that was part of aboriginal life, including the art created for practical purp­oses, eg in ceremonies. Find excellent examples of First Nations art at the UBC Museum of Anthropology.

The Canadian Pacific Railway terminated on piles on the shore parallel to Water St in 1886. From this the area became a hive of warehouses. Carrall St was particularly swampy owing to it being low ground between False Creek and Burrard Inlet. Bridges overcame the problem, and the low ground and beach was slowly filled in. In 1886 the town was incorporated in Vancouver City.

steam clock and vintage lamp posts

The McLennan and McFeely Building is a large 5-storey brick-and-stone commercial building in Gastown which includes the former Canadian Pac­ific Railway right-of-way! The building is a good example of a ware­house built in Vancouver's commerc­ial centre in the early C20th, its heritage value lying in the hist­oric relationship between Gastown and Vancouver’s early economy. Con­sid­er how Gastown became the trans-shipment point between the railway terminus and Pacific shipping rout­es, predicting Vancouver’s expansion as western Canada’s predominant comm­ercial centre. The building’s con­struction in 1906 was for McLen­nan & McFeely, a company special­ising in the import and dist­ribution of hardware and building supplies.

historic Water Street

The foreshore became an important staging area with the N & W Vancouv­er Ferries, and Union Steamships docks. Warehouses quickly open­ed, Fleck Brothers distributors had buildings and department stores opened eg Spencer’s, Hudson’s Bay Company, Army and Navy stores, Woodward’s and Fairbanks Morse. Gastown peaked as the centre of the city’s wholesale produce distribution in the 1930s Great Depression (but not after).

In the 1960s, citizens became concerned with preserving Gastown’s dis­tinctive and historic architecture, which like the nearby Chinatown and Strathcona, was scheduled to be demolished (to build a major freeway into the downtown area). A campaign to save Gastown was led by business people and property owners, as well as the counterculture and assoc­iat­ed political protest­ors, gained traction. Dutch immig­rant Henk Vander­horst opened the Exposition Gallery in Water St which started, flour­ished and encouraged a flow of other newly established businesses.

Henk’s role in the revitalisation of Gastown was rewarded in 1976 by being awarded The First Pioneer Citizen of Gastown, given by the mayor. Vanderhorst’s efforts pressured the provincial and federal governments to declare Gas­town a National Hist­or­ic Site in 2009.

Gastown displays some of the city’s best Victorian Italianate, Ed­ward­ian commercial and Romanesque architecture, running along the north of the downtown Vancouver pen­in­sula. Gastown is a vital part of Vanc­ouv­er’s position as one of the most cosmop­ol­itan cities in the world.

Map of Vancouver
Note Gastown, on Burrard Inlet










16 comments:

Train Man said...

We travelled from Vancouver to Kamloops to Banff and enjoyed it very much. Clearly we didn't spend enough time in Vancouver before getting on the train.

Hels said...

Train Man

I agree that the Rocky Mountaineer is the most relaxed way to travel, and the best way to see the stunning landscape across Southern Canada. However the time you spend in Vancouver (and Calgary) is up to you. Perhaps 4 days in Vancouver before jumping on the train would have been perfect. Including Gastown, of course.

Anonymous said...

I had only to read Vancouver and Gastown to know I would love this post. I am savouring reading it for tomorrow. I am sure you will mention Gassy Jack.

Joseph said...

The First Nations Museum was an eye opener. I had reached middle age without having ever seen First Nations art in Canada, not even on-line.

Parnassus said...

Hello Hels, It seems that next to urban renewal, the most destructive force to affect cities was building highway access into them. I suppose this was necessary to some degree, but the highways cut apart the cities in odd ways, and the way in always seemed to be through the most historic neighborhood. In Cleveland, highway access meant the destruction of the remaining patch of the city's finest past residential district. Also, in bringing the highway up through the suburbs, they wanted to destroy one of the most attractive communities, Shaker Heights, cutting it in half and eliminating the historic Shaker Lakes park section, all in the name of progress! Luckily, Shaker Heights avoided this fate and is still intact.
--Jim

DUTA said...

Very interesting and informative post on Gastown, the core of the city of Vancouver, Canada!
Gastown is an historical and cultural site with both 'hidden and open gems' for locals as well as for tourists. The museum of First Nations' works of art sounds like definitely worth a visit.

Hels said...

Andrew

Gassy Jack Deighton must have been a bit of a lad. He was talkative, sociable with strangers, a boozer, a generous saloon owner, brave enough to go gold panning and a regular traveller around the wilds of Western Canada. Yet he paid a price: he died at 44.

Hels said...

Joseph

absolutely true, so thank goodness for the Gastown sites eg Coastal Peoples Gallery, The Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, Silver Gallery. For beautiful images, see https://gastown.org/celebrating-indigenous-art-in-gastown/

I am humiliated enough to admit the same about Australian Indigenous Art, at least until c2000.

Hels said...

Parnassus

I can almost understand cities destroying their Victorian and Edwardian architecture during and straight after WW1, looking for a new start in town planning. But later it should have become clear to all cities that their histories are the greatest legacies to the world.

In the 1960s, Vancouver’s historic downtown was almost razed for modern road projects. Shaker Heights fortunately avoided the same stupid mistake.

Hels said...

DUTA

I had been to Vancouver a number of times, and loved the sites with fabulous water views and parkland surrounds. Stanley Park, for example, is a real pleasure. Ditto Canada Place and Science World. But without advice from a friend, I doubt that I would have found Gastown by myself. Thankfully making Gas­town a National Hist­or­ic Site in 2009 has changed public perception.

Anonymous said...

It is a wonderful area to visit, as is Vancouver as a city. It is hard to believe the area was threatened by a freeway. What a disaster that would have been. Thanks for some history about Vancouver, an area with expensive housing because it is such a good place to live.

Hels said...

Andrew

We used to play a game asking everyone around the dinner table "which city would you go and live in, if you have to leave Australia?" People made their choices depending on climate, language, housing costs, natural beauty, employment opportunities etc. I always chose Vancouver!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Hels - I was only able to spend a couple of days in Vancouver - and always wanted more - but circumstances were that - still at least I have had an overview. I did go out to the Anthropological Museum and could have spent a lot more time there ... and managed to spend a day in downtown - I was staying up by City Hall. Vancouver and Vancouver Island have very interesting histories ... such a wonderful part of the world. Cheers Hilary

Hels said...

Hilary

when my mum's family left Russia, a third of them went to Melbourne, a third to Winnipeg and a third to Tel Aviv. While all of my mother's first cousins in Winnipeg were still alive, we went every 4 years for a family reunion. After each visit to Winnipeg, spouse and I went to Vancouver to enjoy the sheer beauty of the coastal city. You are spot on: an interesting history and a beautiful part of the world.

Luiz Gomes said...

Boa tarde minha querida amiga. Infelizmente não tive ainda a oportunidade de sair do Brasil e conhecer outros países.

Hels said...

Luiz

if and when covid is ever over, you must plan to travel around :) Your own hemisphere first. My blog partner went to a conference in Rio, loved the experience and wrote it up in a blog post that will appear in a fortnight.