Among the many things woven into the layered fabric and overlapping histories of present-day Vancouver: the brilliant regalia, drumbeat and emblems of Indigenous presence, waves of migration and the sounds of a hundred or more languages, a mosaic of neighbourhoods, the shaping and reshaping of the landscape, and, in recent years, an overdue reckoning with the city’s legacy of racism and colonialism and the initial steps along a pathway to cultural redress and reconciliation. It is a layered, complicated, and often challenging history, but one that needs to be fully acknowledged for the city to grow.

As the city turns 140+, we celebrate the many things that make this place special – it’s beautiful setting, the convergence of different cultures and tradition, the creativity of its artists and the contributions and community-building efforts of all who live, work or play on these lands. At the same time, we acknowledge that there is more work to be done to advance reconciliation and to make this place fair, equitable and accessible to all. We commit to do our part with the resources we have. We welcome the opportunity to take part in the work.

Photo: Partially cleared area around Vancouver Harbor, CVA CVA SGN 155

The “+” denotes the fact that the city we know as Vancouver is situated on territories that have been inhabited since “time out of mind” by the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

Hastings Sawmill, 1872

Of course, dates like this need to be unpacked a bit. The area currently called Vancouver has been home to three First Nations – Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh – since time out of mind. We mark the 135 years associated with the colonial city by adding a “+” to its years.

At the time of incorporation, the ‘new’ city was just a few formal platted blocks around Gastown – though the official boundaries went as far east as the Hastings Townsite (presently Nanaimo Street), south to an area now demarcated by 15th and 16th Avenues, and west to Alma Street.

There’s not many pictures from the time of incorporation, and much of the city that actually existed in April 1886 was burnt to the ground a few months later. But for a glimpse of how things looked 135 years ago, there’s some neat photos to be found in the archives.

The cover photo of this post is a view from the Hastings sawmill (located at the foot of Dunlevy) looking north-west and showing plank sidewalks to Gastown. (Fun fact: when the mill closed in 1930, the old Hastings Mill store – the oldest building in the city – was floated on a barge to the foot of Alma Street, where it was transformed into the Hastings Mill museum).

As the new city expanded south and westward, land was cleared at a rapid pace. Here’s the intersection of present day Granville and Hastings:

If you happened to find yourself out on Burrard Inlet, looking south towards Vancouver, this is what you would have seen:

Turn the other way towards North Vancouver, and you would be looking at Eslhá7an – a Squamish village site (Mission Village).

After the great fire, in June of 1886, the existing city was rebuilt at a rapid pace. This photo of Cordova Street, taken shortly after the fire, shows the new construction – with businesses marked on the image:

You can find more images from 1886 on our Flickr site.

Happy birthday Vancouver! Our city was first incorporated on this day in 1886.

Of course, as a settlement and gathering place, the spot we now call Vancouver has been around for much longer – Aboriginal cultures have inhabited these lands since “time out of mind,” and European settlers had lived here for in a variety of settlements for roughly a century prior to the Village of Granville’s petition for city-hood.

But this was the day that the Provincial Legislature responded to that petition by reading the Incorporation Bill for the third time. Lieutenant-Govenor, Clement Frances Cornwall assented, and the City came into being. This, in turn, set in motion the Vancouver’s first election – which was held on May 3, 1886.

For the past few years, we’ve promoted the idea of marking today’s date as “Vancouver Day.” In honour of this year’s “event”, we’re sharing a few of our favourite archival photos of Vancouver back in ’86. (The one at the top of the article is of Water Street, looking east).

History buffs will already know that a scant two months after the city was incorporated, it was largely decimated by the Great Fire. So these photos are rare – a few of the limited number that were taken of the original city, around the time of it’s original incorporation.

On this note, another of our archival discoveries from the past year. Vancouverites, in the first fifty-odd years of the city’s existence, used to celebrate “Fire Day” on June 13 as a way to forge civic pride while honouring the date of the big burn. For a while, this was also known as “Vancouver Day.” We’ll be publishing a story on this subject in a couple months time.

So there you have it. Another reason for party-goers to celebrate: the possibility of two civic events to honour our city and its history!

Here’s a great photo taken at the foot of Granville Street:

 [COV Archives: Dist P166]

 And a couple of pictures of the nascent city from the waterfront:

[COV Archives: LGN 450] [COV Archives: LGN 452] 

Lastly, a rather prescient image: of a W. Hornes’s real estate “office”, advertising “Vancouver Lots for Sale.” Real estate speculation has clearly been in the city’s DNA from Day 1. [COV Archives: LGN 454] 

Our annual ‘nudge’ in this regard usually comes on April 6, the anniversary of the city’s incorporation. But you may be interested in knowing that at one point in time, Vancouver did celebrate Vancouver Day… and it was today!

The date June 13 has considerable significance in the city’s history. On this day in 1792, Captain George Vancouver arrived in the Burrard Inlet and had what local historian Chuck Davis describes as “a friendly encounter with local Coast Salish people.”

But the real incentive for the commemoration of June 13 was the Great Fire of Vancouver, which tore through the brand new city in 1886. Of the 1000 or so buildings that were in place at the time, only a handful remained following the fire. Somewhere between 8 and 28 people died in the blaze.

The day after the fire. City of Vancouver Archives LGN 455

As many historians have noted, the city rebuilt itself at a remarkable speed, and the legacy of this resilience can been seen in the architectural history of present day Gastown and Strathcona.

The memory of the fire, however, lived on in the collective memory of the city. For many decades after the fire, many residents would informally celebrate the anniversary of the event with something they called “Fire Day.”

In 1929, the Vancouver Pioneers Association, along with other organizations, petitioned the City Council to formally set aside the anniversary of the fire as a civic celebration, and in early June that year, City Council voted unanimously to designate June 13th as Vancouver Day “in perpetuity.” A large celebration was held in Stanley Park, with several thousand people in attendance.

Letter to the Vancouver Pioneers Association from Mayor William Malkin, June 6, 1929.

Despite the push to mark the date, interest in the celebration gradually waned over the following decades. Memories of the Great Fire faded incrementally with the passing of each pioneer and witness to the event.

In 1986, Vancouver Day was briefly revived on the 100-year anniversary of the Fire. Festivities at that time included special events, a commemorative badge, and even a recreation of the bucket brigade – with community members passing buckets of water along Water Street in a giant fire drill.

Giant Fire Drill – Participant Carries Bucket of Water. June 13, 1986. Photo Glen E Erickson. City of Vancouver Archives 2011-010.2448.01

And then, quiet again.

For our part, we still think Vancouver could benefit from a civic day. While the idea of marking the Great Fire may not resonate with residents the same way it used to, the idea of marking our collective resilience and shared sense of community surely can. Whether it’s April 6, or June 13, or another date all together, let’s give some serious thought to the idea of Vancouver Day.

And on the subject of the Great Fire…

Today, City Council passed a motion to “publicly thank the First Nations families who saved Vancouverites’ lives in the Great Fire.” This is an important gesture. As the motion notes, many more residents of the city would have perished “if not for local First Nations families. Despite being forcibly removed from their homelands and crowded onto a small reserve across the Burrard inlet in Ustlawn, families—at their own peril—chose to bring their own canoes and boats across the inlet to rescue Vancouverites.”

Our post from last year’s 130th anniversary – which had a series of photos from 1886 – was especially popular, so we’ve decided to run it again. 

Happy birthday Vancouver! Our city was first incorporated on this day in 1886.

Of course, as a settlement and gathering place, the spot we now call Vancouver has been around for much longer – Aboriginal cultures have inhabited these lands since “time out of mind,” and European settlers had lived here for in a variety of settlements for roughly a century prior to the Village of Granville’s petition for city-hood.

But this was the day that the Provincial Legislature responded to that petition by reading the Incorporation Bill for the third time. Lieutenant-Govenor, Clement Frances Cornwall assented, and the City came into being. This, in turn, set in motion the Vancouver’s first election – which was held on May 3, 1886.

For the past few years, we’ve promoted the idea of marking today’s date as “Vancouver Day.” In honour of this year’s “event”, we’re sharing a few of our favourite archival photos of Vancouver back in ’86. (The one at the top of the article is of Water Street, looking east).

History buffs will already know that a scant two months after the city was incorporated, it was largely decimated by the Great Fire. So these photos are rare – a few of the limited number that were taken of the original city, around the time of it’s original incorporation.

On this note, another of our archival discoveries from the past year. Vancouverites, in the first fifty-odd years of the city’s existence, used to celebrate “Fire Day” on June 13 as a way to forge civic pride while honouring the date of the big burn. For a while, this was also known as “Vancouver Day.” We’ll be publishing a story on this subject in a couple months time.

So there you have it. Another reason for party-goers to celebrate: the possibility of two civic events to honour our city and its history!

Here’s a great photo taken at the foot of Granville Street:

 [COV Archives: Dist P166]

 And a couple of pictures of the nascent city from the waterfront:

[COV Archives: LGN 450] [COV Archives: LGN 452]  Lastly, a rather prescient image: of a W. Hornes’s real estate “office”, advertising “Vancouver Lots for Sale.” Real estate speculation has clearly been in the city’s DNA from Day 1. [COV Archives: LGN 454] 

Of course, as a settlement and gathering place, the spot we now call Vancouver has been around for much longer – Aboriginal cultures have inhabited these lands since “time out of mind,” and European settlers had lived here for in a variety of settlements for roughly a century prior to the Village of Granville’s petition for city-hood.

But this was the day that the Provincial Legislature responded to that petition by reading the Incorporation Bill for the third time. Lieutenant-Govenor, Clement Frances Cornwall assented, and the City came into being. This, in turn, set in motion the Vancouver’s first election – which was held on May 3, 1886.

For the past few years, we’ve promoted the idea of marking today’s date as “Vancouver Day.” In honour of this year’s “event”, we’re sharing a few of our favourite archival photos of Vancouver back in ’86. (The one at the top of the article is of Water Street, looking east).

History buffs will already know that a scant two months after the city was incorporated, it was largely decimated by the Great Fire. So these photos are rare – a few of the limited number that were taken of the original city, around the time of it’s original incorporation.

On this note, another of our archival discoveries from the past year. Vancouverites, in the first fifty-odd years of the city’s existence, used to celebrate “Fire Day” on June 13 as a way to forge civic pride while honouring the date of the big burn. For a while, this was also known as “Vancouver Day.” We’ll be publishing a story on this subject in a couple months time.

So there you have it. Another reason for party-goers to celebrate: the possibility of two civic events to honour our city and its history!

Here’s a great photo taken at the foot of Granville Street:

 [COV Archives: Dist P166]

 And a couple of pictures of the nascent city from the waterfront:

[COV Archives: LGN 450]

[COV Archives: LGN 452] 

Lastly, a rather prescient image: of a W. Hornes’s real estate “office”, advertising “Vancouver Lots for Sale.” Real estate speculation has clearly been in the city’s DNA from Day 1. 

  [COV Archives: LGN 454] 

We’d like to make a proposal: starting in 2015, let’s to do something to formally mark the occasion. We’re a city that has been working hard to shake a ‘no fun’ moniker – and this is a time of year, blossoms blooming, spring in the air, which could benefit from some official merry-making. Let’s call it Vancouver Day.

And why not? This is a great city. We deserve to take a day to say as much. Vancouver Day could be time for a bit of good old civic pride, not to mention a decent party.

It’s not like we don’t have precedents, it’s just that they typically only happen every quarter century. The 50th, in 1936 was celebrated in style, and a quarter-century later, the city’s 75th birthday was marked with pomp and circumstance. Many folks will still remember the centennial celebrations of 1986, which included a parade, community events, even a small flotilla of boats. Then-Governor General Jeanne Sauvé paid a visit and cut cake with Mayor Michael Harcourt; there were speeches and 100-gun salutes, and a big party in Stanley Park. They even had a special recognition ceremony for all the babies born on the day.

More recently, we had chance to see what this could look like in 2011, when not one, but two major “Vancouver 125” activities took place: a free outdoor concert at Jack Poole Plaza on April 6, and a larger, weekend long celebration event called SummerLive that took place in July at Brockton Point, Stanley Park.

We don’t need to go to quite the same extent every year, but something would be nice. How about an official “Vancouver Day” proclamation from the Mayor? Maybe some support for neighbourhood events, or local activities that showcase the many and diverse communities that make up Vancouver? A big pot luck? More cake? Perhaps an ‘official’ event in one or more of the city’s downtown public spaces?

There are lots of different and creative ways to celebrate our city, and it wouldn’t take much to make it happen. Civic leaders could do a lot by just declaring the day a celebration and inviting ideas. Toss in a bit of seed-funding or small community grants and who knows what might happen!

This year, for the first time in a number of years, the City will be rolling out a big New Years’ Eve celebration – one that will actually go to midnight. That’s a positive move. Collective celebrations are an important part of the public life of any city. And let’s not forget, we’ve also got Cherry Blossoms and Vaisakhi, Car Free Days, Pride and Santa Claus, among others.

But it’s time to round out this roster of activities with an event that focuses on our home town. Let’s make it happen! Mark your calendars! Vancouver Day, a day that celebrates the city.

The Big Ideas are 12 Priority Areas we see as an early release of the VPSN Manifesto on public space policy. We’ve made online access to the Routemap 2012-2014 and the original Manifesto 2008-2011.To learn more about this initiative and to get involved, please write us an email.

Every three years, to coincide with the municipal election, the VPSN publishes a series of public space policy ideas. In 2014, we’ll be showcasing several of these via our blog. Be sure let us know what you think!

Today, April 6, marks the 124th anniversary of our home city’s incorporation. It’s not a date that features prominently on too many wall calendars, granted, but perhaps it ought to. After all, there’s so much to celebrate about this city and its inhabitants.

Granted, fixing a date for the beginning of a city is a bit of a dodgy affair. Where does one start?

In Vancouver, settlement within the boundaries of what we presently know as Vancouver began, as the Coast Salish say, in a far more remote past. One that is “time out of mind.” The archeological record of human habitation in the area suggests that people have been walking trails here for many thousands of years.

The European contributions to the area also began some time ago – and dating our home from the moorings of George Vancouver in the Burrard Inlet, Simon Fraser’s footsteps along the river that now bears his name, or the first European settlement (the McCleery Farm in Southlands) also make for imprecision. We need some specificity with a date of this sort – it being a birthday after all, as well as some ‘reach’ and applicability. Something that can be rationalized – like, for example, an act of legislation.

And so, the birthday today is for “Vancouver” — the tiny settlement that grew, burned, and grew again: the amalgam of Salish Villages, speculators and skid road haulers, of lumber merchants, dockhands, asian railway workers and immigrants of all stripes. Sure, there were people here long before, but today’s the day, 124 years ago, that a petition from area residents was read before the legislature, the Municipal Act was set put in abeyance, and a special charter was enacted, calling “Vancouver” into being.

With this act, the civic forbearers of the city — the Hastings townsite and Granville townsite (informally known as “Gastown”) — were rolled up and incorporated into a new municipality, one whose name had been suggested by CPR President William Van Horne (much to the chagrin of Island residents). Shortly thereafter, the city’s first mayor – Malcolm MacLean was elected.

Only a 124 years ago today! And to think, we’re 365 days away from a very awkward sounding milestone: our Quasquicentennial.

Mind you, I think I prefer to stick with something simplersounding: Vancouver Day. It has a nice ring, doesn’t it?