Hastings Mill Museum     At the foot of Alma Street in Point Grey at Pioneer Park is a small wooden structure that is considered to be the oldest existing building in Vancouver. After surviving the fire of 1886, the Old Hasting Mill Store was the only building untouched by the destruction ravaged upon the new city. However, it was slated for destruction in the late 1920's when the land around it was to be developed. After the Great Fire, the building was briefly used as a hospital and mor ... Full Article...

  A Sad Chapter   “It was a period when, if you were Asian, especially on the West Coast, people just thought you were almost subhuman. We didn’t have the vote. There were places you couldn’t go. I wondered for years why it was that all my memories of theatres are looking down and it’s because we had to go upstairs. So I mean in that kind of world to be accepted as an equal, that meant a great deal." Asahi Baseball Team fan Midge Ayukawa                       In 1942 ... Full Article...

"By Sea And Land We Prosper" - So Its' Lights Out on Saturday the 27th!

"By Sea And Land We Prosper"

 

That's the quote carved onto the facade of The Burrard Street Bridge. Vancouver's beloved Mike McCardell of Global TV, recently did a story on the city landmark. In it there is a wonderful close-up of the carving, under Vancouver's Coat of Arms. It's a great motto and one that is a valid reminder these days of how fragile our environment is, and that if we wish to continue to prosper from our Sea and Land, that we must always keep in mind that we are the stewards of them.

THE WONDERS OF VANCOUVER

* On the two piers which support the central concrete gallery are molded the prows of boats with figureheads to represent Captain George Vancouver and Captain Harry Burrard. Interestingly, Harry Burrard, for whom the bridge is named, never came within 5,000 kilometres of this area. He'd been an acting lieutenant with George Vancouver in the West Indies, so the bridge architect chose to honour them together.
* The pierced handrails were designed as a kind of visual shutter, (stroboscopic effect), so that at speeds from about 40 to 60 km/h., motorists see through them with an uninterrupted view of the harbour.
* The Burrard Bridge Lane Reallocation Trial started last July, and is still continuing. This was the simplest, most environmentally sustainable and the least expensive way to address a long-standing problem of biking and walking across the bridge. Three lanes heading into downtown remain unchanged, but one lane headed out has been cordoned off and protected as a bike and pedestrian lane only. City staff will report back to council soon to make recommendations as to the permanence of the lane designations.

 

On that environmentally friendly note, here's another great thing we can all participate in to do our bit for Our Planet, and to lessen our environmental footprint.

 

Earth Hour is coming up! Remember to TURN OUT your lights for one hour on Saturday, March 27, at 8:30, local time. Visit this great website to add your own story and to sign up for the Take Action Pledge. Be one of the 81478 people in Canada so far this year who have already done so! Turn out and tune in to turn on!

 

Hope you've enjoyed this posting. If you have any questions, any 'little-known' facts or interesting Vancouver Stories or Pictures, please feel free to contact me at:

gerry.gramek@century21.ca

Or, feel free to visit my other website - click on this link to take you there!

For all your Vancouver Real Estate needs, call me, Gerry Gramek, direct at : 604-551-2747 
Posted by Gerry Gramek on March 23, 2010
Tags: Earth Hour Real Estate Vancouver Vancouver Area Stories