45. HISTORIAN OF HIS PEOPLE: August Jack Khahtsahlano (1877-1967), whose grandfather's name was transformed into “Kitsilano”, was born near here in the Salish village of Snauq. His reminiscences are an important record of the life of his people, as Vancouver changed around them from lumber village to metropolis.
44. CAMBIE STREET GROUNDS: Pioneer sports, especially baseball, soccer and lacrosse were played here. The field was also used for rallies, circuses and parades. During World War I it was a centre for training recruits. It became a bus depot in 1946.
42. THE FIRST SYNAGOGUE: Vancouver's first synagogue, Sons of Israel, was erected here in 1911-12. The building was moved to the back of this site to allow the larger Schara Tzedeck Synagogue to be built in 1921. It became the home of the orthodox congregation under the spiritual leadership of Rabbi Nathan Pastinksy.
41. PAPAL VISIT: The only Pontiff to visit Vancouver, Pope John Paul II officiated the “Celebration of Life” at B.C. Place Stadium on September 18, 1984. Afterwards he attended a special dinner in his honour in Holy Rosary Cathedral and spent the night in the Duke Residence.
In 1986, Vancouver celebrated the city’s 100th birthday by installing 100 plaques around the city. My goal is to find all of them! At the end of the project, I hope it’s like a little guidebook to the city’s history.
40. PERCY WILLIAMS: Percy Williams (1908-1982) was born in Vancouver. His meteoric athletic career began at Brockton Oval and exploded on the international scene in 1928 at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. He won the 100 and 200 metre sprints, a feat no other Canadian has duplicated.
39. FALSE CREEK RECLAMATION: False Creek east of Main Street was initially an area of tidal flats. A proposal to dredge a shipping channel was abandoned in favour of railway development and by 1917 one third of False Creek was filled in.
38. CON JONES PARK: In 1911 Con Jones, an enterprising Australian immigrant and cigar store owner, built a stadium to house his Canadian champion Vancouver Lacrosse Club. The park became a centre for baseball and soccer when professional lacrosse ended in 1924. It became Callister Park in 1949.
37. THE FIRST UKRAINIAN CHURCH: Ukrainians of the Greek Orthodox faith began holding Vancouver area services in Cedar Cottage Hall in 1928. Postwar immigration increased the congregation, and in 1948 they built the present church.
36. BROCKTON GRAVEYARD: Pioneer settlers were buried near Brockton Point. Homemade coffins, graves scattered among the trees, and headboards fashioned from rough lumber reflected the informality of pioneer burial practices. By 1888 the little cemetery had fallen into disuse.
35. PANTAGES THEATRE: Vancouver's first Pantages theatre opened here on January 6, 1908. Part of a “circuit” of vaudeville theatres owned by Alexander Pantages, it featured live commercial entertainment for family audiences. Vaudeville remained popular until the late 1920s but succumbed to the competition of talking pictures.
34. MEMORIAL PARK SOUTH: After the First World War various districts sought to provide lasting remembrances. South Vancouver established this park and also erected the first cenotaph in Canada at its municipal hall. After amalgamation, the cenotaph was moved to its present location.
