Historic Places Days

Join Vancouver Heritage Foundation and celebrate Historic Places Days this July with a look at 20 years of Heritage in Vancouver. Learn about contemporary heritage work in Vancouver, and why heritage is more than just buildings.

Doors will open at 6pm, there will be free food, and non-Alcoholic beverages will be provided. This Event is free, but we encourage you to RSVP.

About Historic Places Days

Historic Places Days is a platform for individuals and organizations to showcase the places and stories important to them in their own words. As the presenter, the National Trust for Canada recognizes that Canada’s history and heritage is complex and contentious, dominated by settler perspectives, and that individually or collectively the stories may lack diversity.

About the Speakers

Martin Knowles is an architectural photographer and Phase One Certified Professional based in downtown Vancouver, BC. Martin’s approach provides effective visual communication fueled by careful craft and technical savvy. When he discovered the joy of photography and working in the darkroom in grade 8, he also discovered that he had a particular passion for documenting the built and natural environment. This led him to working in large format film and photographing architecture as a creative outlet while studying computing science and fine arts. In 2007, he founded Martin Knowles Photo/Media to serve the design, architectural, and building communities.

When he’s not behind a camera, working in Photoshop, making Capture One squeeze the last bit of detail out of an image, or helping clients make the most of their visual imagery, he can be found sailing in the San Juan and Gulf Islands, taking long bicycle rides, or tearing up the floor with other creative folks at local blues, fusion, and swing dance events.

Jessica Quan is a lifelong Vancouver resident with a passion for connecting with communities. Jessica has been with Vancouver Heritage Foundation since 2012, and her current role is Community Engagement Manager. She is the keystone manager of Places That Matter, Vancouver’s register of community nominated heritage places and stories that are not acknowledged through traditional heritage recognition avenues.

Photo Credit: Front view of interurban streetcar number 1309. City of Vancouver Archives. Item – LGN 1223

Location: Tour will start and end in the around the old Epworth Station location. Paid participants will receive the exact starting location after registering, approximately 1 week prior to the tour.

Please note:

• For in-person events, we are unable to provide refunds or credits for cancellations received less than four (4) weeks prior to the event. For additional information on VHF’s policies, please visit our Policies page.
• Registration is required for all walking tours, and ID must match. If you are not able to attend the day of your tour, a replacement showing up in your place will not be accepted.
• This tour is a 2 hour +/- outdoor activity that will require participants to navigate  a variety of terrain!
• There is a maximum capacity of 20 people per tour. We ask that you please do not seek out the group on tour day in hopes of joining, as this will disrupt the tour.
• Out of consideration for all walking tour participants, we ask that you please leave all canine companions at home, apart from certified service dogs.

About Your Guide

John Atkin is a civic historian, author and heritage consultant. He offers an interesting and offbeat insight into the city’s architecture, history and neighbourhoods through a series of unique and popular walking tours. These combine his interests in urban planning and development, a love of architecture and a fascination for the curious.

Enjoy an informative evening at Hollywood Theatre with Vancouver Heritage Foundation, Michelle Barile, and Tom Carter and John Atkins as they each share unique stories about Vancouvers Heritage. Each presentation will speak to Vancouvers vibrant history of community, place and entertainment.

Vancouver Heritage Foundations Community Engagement Manager, Jessica Quan will speak to the importance of the Places that Matter Community Resource focussing on sites that have connection to Vancouvers entertainment history. Places that Matter launched with a plaque project in 2011 to recognize community-nominated sites that highlight some of the lesser-known people, places and events that have shaped Vancouver.

Michelle Barile, the Executive Director of the West Broadway BIA will speak to the resilience of Hollywood Theatre.  This talk will highlight the story of the iconic theatre, community superheroes, and constructive development practices to support the place we love.

Historians Tom Carter and John Atkin Vancouver will speak about Vancouvers fascinating history of movie theatres and their influence on the city of Vancouver.

To finish off the event, we will be watching a 2023 video put together by Oh Boy Productions that documents the Vancouver Block clock restoration, as well as to capture some of Ray Saunders memories as Vancouver’s preeminent horologist.

Ticket sales for this event end on July 14th at 5pm.

About Historic Places Days

Historic Places Days is a platform for individuals and organizations to showcase the places and stories important to them in their own words. As the presenter, the National Trust for Canada recognizes that Canada’s history and heritage is complex and contentious, dominated by settler perspectives, and that individually or collectively the stories may lack diversity.

About the Speakers:

Michelle Barile is the Executive Director of the West Broadway Business Improvement Association (WBBIA, representing over 300 businesses and 100 commercial properties on West Broadway. She has a background that includes graphic design, marketing and events, street beautification, strategic planning, and advocacy to support small businesses. In 2024, she received the King Charles III Coronation Medal award; in 2020, she received the Kitsilano Neighbouhood House Good Neighbour Award; and in 2010, 2015, and 2019, she received BIABC’s Best in the West Awards for various BIA projects.

Jessica Quan is a lifelong Vancouver resident with a passion for connecting with communities. Jessica has been with Vancouver Heritage Foundation since 2012, and her current role is Community Engagement Manager. She is the keystone manager of Places That Matter, Vancouver’s register of community nominated heritage places and stories that are not acknowledged through traditional heritage recognition avenues.

John Atkin is a civic historian, author and heritage consultant. He offers an interesting and offbeat insight into the city’s architecture, history and neighbourhoods through a variety of programming. These combine his interests in urban planning and development, a love of architecture and a fascination for the curious.

Tom Carter is an painter and entertainment historian and serves on the boards of Vancouver Historical Society and the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, he is a former member of the Friends of the Vancouver Archives board

Schedule of Events

6:30 pm – Doors Open

7:00 pm – Presentations

8:15 pm – Video presentation about the Vancouver Block

8:30pm – Event ends

PLEASE NOTE: For in-person events, we are unable to provide refunds or credits for cancellations received less than four (4) weeks prior to the event. For additional information on VHF’s policies, please visit our Policies page prior to registering.

If you would like to make a donation in addition to your registration, the amount will be tax deductible and you will receive an official tax receipt for donations of $20 or more. Our Registered Charity number is 891765968.

GST# 89176 5968 RT0001

Photo Credit: Looking south at the west side of the 6100 Block of Fraser Street. City of Vancouver Archives, Str P412.1.

This tour will explore the Sunset Neighborhood. Paid participants will receive the exact starting location after registering, approximately 1 week prior to the tour.

Please note:

• For in-person events, we are unable to provide refunds or credits for cancellations received less than four (4) weeks prior to the event. For additional information on VHF’s policies, please visit our Policies page.
• Registration is required for all walking tours, and ID must match. If you are not able to attend the day of your tour, a replacement showing up in your place will not be accepted.
• This tour is a 2 hour +/- outdoor activity that will require participants to navigate  a variety of terrain!
• There is a maximum capacity of 20 people per tour. We ask that you please do not seek out the group on tour day in hopes of joining, as this will disrupt the tour.
• Out of consideration for all walking tour participants, we ask that you please leave all canine companions at home, apart from certified service dogs.

About Your Guide

Rob Howatson is a writer, local history buff and lifelong South Van’er. He caught the heritage bug in 2007 when he discovered a time capsule hidden in the old Sunset Community Centre. (It contained rare Bing Crosby footage!) Rob also works for the City of Richmond at Steveston’s heritage sites.

Details:

• Tours will take place rain or shine. Please dress for the weather.
• There will be  2 tours offered – two evening tours from 4-5:30 pm, and a second tour 6:15-7:45pm. There is a maximum capacity of 20 people per tour and needs 10 registrants to run. Registration is required in advance for all tours and ID must match the ticket. Unregistered people will not be permitted to join on the tour date. Do not seek out the group on the tour day in hopes of joining as this will disrupt the tour; if you are not able to attend your tour, due to liability reasons an unregistered replacement showing up in your place will not be accepted.
• Please note the Vancouver Block portion of this tour will involve climbing several flights of stairs in order to access to the clock tower and viewing deck.
• Tours take place in public spaces through Vancouver, BC. Participants will encounter a variety of terrain including uncontrolled road crossings, gravel, stairs, slopes, etc. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at mail@vancouverheritagefoundation.org.
• Washrooms will not be available on the tour.
• Further details, including meeting location, will be provided to registered participants at least 1 week prior to the event. A reminder will be sent 1 day prior to the event. Please email mail@vancouverheritagefoundation.org if you have not received these reminders and they are not in your junk folder.
• Tickets will be available for purchase until 5pm the day before each tour.
• If tickets are sold out, please email mail@vancouverheritagefoundation.org to join waitlist.

About Historic Places Days

Historic Places Days is a platform for individuals and organizations to showcase the places and stories important to them in their own words. As the presenter, the National Trust for Canada recognizes that Canada’s history and heritage is complex and contentious, dominated by settler perspectives, and that individually or collectively the stories may lack diversity.

About the Vancouver Block

Characterized by the large, illuminated clock tower set atop its fifteen-storey height, the Vancouver Block, which slightly predated the adjacent Birks Building by Somervell & Putnam, helped establish Georgia and Granville as the commercial core of early Vancouver and serves as a symbol of the rapid growth in Vancouver’s economy and urban fabric in the early twentieth century. Completed in 1912, this Edwardian Commercial building is one of the most impressive structures designed by the prolific architectural firm of Parr & Fee. Throughout its history, numerous upgrades have been made to the building to protect the building’s structure, comply with modern safety requirements, and preserve its heritage character.

About the Speakers

Donald Luxton is a heritage consultant, advocate, educator and author. He has worked on numerous heritage and cultural resource management projects throughout western Canada since 1983. A leading proponent of heritage conservation in BC, Donald was instrumental in the creation of VHF’s True Colours historical paint palette and among his book credits is Building the West: The Architects of Early British Columbia.