Heritage Week Walking Tour:Granville Street – Then and Now
February 16-22 is Heritage Week! Come learn about the changes to and significance of this all-important founding street of Vancouver!
Saturday, February 21, 2015; 1pm to 3pm
$15; Heritage Vancouver Members $10
Tour begins at West Georgia and Granville (SW corner, near Canada Line Entrance for Vancouver City Centre Station)
Join historian and Senior Planner for Downtown Vancouver, Michael Gordon in an exploration of Granville Street, one of Vancouver’s pre-eminent ‘high streets’ reflecting many elements that define our city. Our walk will begin at the southwest corner of Granville Street and West Georgia Street, the original location of the first two Hotel Vancouver’s. We will then walk south on Granville Street and look and hear about the street’s history. Important historic Granville Street buildings and key events that occurred will be discussed such as the emergence of the street as a ‘theatre row’ in the 1920’s. The Parr and Fee buildings, including their Vancouver block and a number of hotels will also be highlighted. The past and current roles of the street as a transit hub, a shopping street, an office, hotel and entertainment district and a cultural and neon mecca will also be highlighted. It will also be noted that a key Council decision in the early 90’s reduced the permitted height from 300 feet to 90’ on the blocks south of Robson Street resulting in the retention of almost all of the historic buildings that existed on these southerly blocks at that time.
PIBC 2.0 LUs of Organized CPD
http://www.heritagevancouver.org/#wt-granville
