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