From 1889 to 1912, the block on which Victory Square sits was known as Government Square and it was the site for Vancouver’s provincial courthouse. Not many images of the original courthouse remain – but you can see it here:

The site is intriguing – because of its transitional nature, bordering the old Gastown/Granville townsite and the “new” downtown area that was in development. Perhaps most notable is the pronounced shift in the street grid that helps to define the site. In 1912, the courthouse moved to the new Georgia Street location where the Vancouver Art Gallery resides today. Around the same time, the “old” building was demolished – though the block did not remain empty for long. During World War I, this was where marquees were set up to recruit soldiers for the war effort. As casualties in the Great War increased, citizens called for a war memorial to be set up on the site. Soon after the conflict ended, it was renamed Victory Square. Finally in April 1924, the iconic Cenotaph that still sits in the middle of the square was unveiled. Ever since, this has been the site for Vancouver’s Remembrance Day ceremonies.

The photograph above (and the one at the beginning of the article) are from the 1920s, shortly after the Cenotaph was first erected. Notice that most of the buildings on the North and East sides of the square are the same – although occupied by different businesses. Moreover, the midrise building opposite Victory Square on Cambie and Hastings is visible in the 1900s, the 1920s, and still today.

Also noteworthy are the trees that adorn the edges of the square. They were planted in 1892 as part of the original landscaping for the courthouse – and are now among the oldest street trees in the city. In the oldest photographs, they are too small to be easily visible, but it is interesting to see how they have grown from only a few feet to towering over the square today.

Over the latter decades of the 20th century, there were a number of proposals to redesign the gathering area. Finally, in 2002, Victory Square was given a ‘refresh’ – that improved some of the landscaping, and added additional seating areas. As part of this, a series of distinctive lighting standards were created – their designs referencing the Brodie helmets that soldiers wore into battle.

Although changes are evident and visible looking between the photographs, Victory Square is still eminently recognizable as one of Vancouver’s most important gathering areas – and one that has played an important role for ceremonial and celebratory purposes, protests, and the everyday pleasures of a downtown park that serves both residents and visitors to the city.

Article by Alex Butler. Photos by Alex Butler, VPSN, and City of Vancouver Archives.

Sources and Further Reading:

• Vancouver Historical Society
• City of Vancouver
• Canada’s Historic Places

 The City of Vancouver will host the following ceremonies to recognize the contribution our Veterans have made and to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Canada.

As it has for the past three years, the Generation to Generation ceremony will begin the day with the lighting of the cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza:

When: 8 am Monday, November 11, 2013
Where: Jack Poole Plaza, Vancouver Convention Centre

As the cauldron comes to life, a senior veteran will handover Canada’s flag to a member of the next generation of veterans, acknowledging the continuing service and loyalty of Canadians from generation to generation.

Regimental units taking part in this year’s ceremony include 50 members of the 39 Canadian Brigade and HMCS Discovery. RCMP officers will stand as sentries while the all-Cadet Vancouver Flag Party marches in.

Flt. Sergeant Tony Zhao of the Pegasus Air Cadet Sqn. 111 will sound the Last Post and Reveille. Pipe Major Alistair Pattison of the BC Regiment Pipes and Drums will pipe the Lament. The cauldron will be extinguished at 11 am, coinciding with Two Minutes of Silence at Victory Square.

At Victory Square, Vancouver’s main Remembrance Day Ceremony and Parade will begin:

When: 10 am Monday, November 11, 2013
Where: Cenotaph at Victory Square
West Hastings Street, between Cambie and Hamilton

The program begins with a performance by the Vancouver Bach Youth Choir and Sarabande starting at 10 am. Led by the Vancouver Flag Party, the parade of veterans, military marching units and bands will arrive at Victory Square before the ceremony begins at 10:30 am. At 11 am the Last Post will be sounded. There will be Two Minutes of Silence, during which a 21-gun salute by the 15^th Field Artillery Regiment will be heard from Portside Park. Rouse and Lament will follow. The RCAF will conduct a fly-past moments later, weather permitting. The enduring In Flanders Fields will then be sung by the Bach Youth Choir and Sarabande and wreaths will be placed at the Cenotaph.

The combined bands of the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service and the Regimental Pipes and Drums of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada will perform, after which the parade march-off begins. The parade proceeds west along Hastings Street, turning right at Richards Street, east on Cordova, then south on Cambie and marching past the reviewing stand at Victory Square.

In addition to the above ceremonies, Remembrance Day observances will take place in different communities throughout the city including:

• South Memorial Park – Ceremony commences at 10:30 am at Memorial Park Cenotaph, 41st Avenue and Windsor Street
• Japanese Canadian War Memorial in Stanley Park – Ceremony commences at 10:40 am at the Japanese Canadian Cenotaph in Stanley Park
• Grandview Park – Ceremony commences at 10:45 am at Grandview Park,1657 Charles Street at Commercial Drive
• Royal Vancouver Yacht Club – Ceremony commences at 11 am at The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, 3811 Point Grey Road, and can be viewed by the public from Hastings Mill Park
• CRAB Park at Portside – Ceremony commences at 10:30 am
• Chinatown Memorial – Ceremony commences at 12:30 pm at the Chinatown Memorial Square, Keefer at Columbia

Aboriginal Veterans will hold a ceremony at the Victory Square Cenotaph on November 8, National Aboriginal Veterans Day. A march will get underway at the Carnegie Centre at 10:15 am and proceed to Victory Square. The official ceremony begins at 10:45 am.

The Remembrance Day Service at Victory Square event is organized by the Vancouver Remembrance Day Committee, a volunteer group established by the City in the 1940s with the mandate to conduct the November 11 ceremony on behalf of its citizens.