The Heritage Site Finder is an interactive map of the Vancouver Heritage Register. Previously only accessible to the public as a PDF, the Heritage Site Finder lets you search over 2200 locations by address or site name, with images and information for each site. View photos and read descriptions on a computer or explore Vancouver’s neighbourhoods with Heritage Site Finder on a mobile device. Updates are ongoing. If you have first-hand information on a site, please contact us so we can add the information to the MAP.
New Features! We’ve recently made updates to the Heritage Site Finder Interactive Map. You can now click the LEARN MORE button on each site which opens to a full screen close up of the location on a map, includes an overview and a gallery. Only sites with information populated will show all these features, but each site has its own page and will be searchable online by name, address, title.
Click here to visit the HERITAGE SITE FINDER
Notes about using the map
Please read the introductory page and refer to the FAQ section for help in navigating this web tool. We recommend that you use Firefox or Chrome, or download the app and update it periodically for the most recent map versions and the best user experience.
The Heritage Register is a key component in the City of Vancouver’s Heritage Conservation Program. Compiled in the 1980s and adopted by Council in 1986 to celebrate the City’s centenary, it has been under comprehensive review since 2015 to update it for the first time. The Heritage Site Finder provides a useful tool for all to better understand what is already on the Heritage Register and what could be added.
Add the Heritage Site Finder to your smartphone homescreen for easy reference (instructions for downloading the app).
Would you like to help?
If you are interested in contributing to VHF’s Heritage Site Finder Map research and content please contact Jessica Quan, Special Project Coordinator. Please send a resume, and a few words about why you are interested in researching. The work can be completed on your own time using online resources but there are also opportunities to research in person during working hours. Ideally you will be able to commit 3-6 months and complete assignments in a timely manner.
Research scope includes:
- using online resources to determine the site’s early history (dates, occupants, context, neighbourhood)
- architectural features and social/economic/cultural significance
- expanding, sourcing information about indigenous history
- sourcing evolution of a site based on key time periods (ownerships, neighbourhood shifts, renovations, restoration etc)
- sourcing all materials and citing useful links, resources, sources
- finding current information online about the site when possible via media, property owners, occupants, etc
- occasionally finding current photos and sourcing archival images
- if possible during working hours: visit City Hall to access paper files, visit special collections or archives
Thanks to over 70 generous volunteers we continue to populate the map with images and information. We welcome your feedback and support.
“My time volunteering at the VHF has been a great learning experience. It gave me an avenue to transfer and to apply some of the skills I have picked in school, and to discover more on the magnificent heritage buildings in the city. I enjoyed the creative challenge of choosing and analysing a plethora of resources, and in repackaging the stories of each building into a brand new tale. I highly encourage individuals who are interested in history, architecture, urban studies or similar fields to try out this valuable opportunity. You will learn a lot!” (2016 HSF Volunteer)
Acknowledgements and Awards
- 2016 Heritage BC, Award of Honour for Heritage Education and Awareness.
- 2017 Award of Honour from the City of Vancouver Heritage Awards.
Thank you to Split Mango Media Inc for their continued support and dedication on this project.
This project was funded in part by Heritage BC through the Heritage Legacy Fund and in part by a Get Youth Working Grant from the Province of BC.
If you are interested in becoming involved by supporting this project with a sponsorship or donation, please contact Executive Director, Judith Mosley.
