Dennis Begin
The North Shore of False Creek and George Wainborn Park.
Words by Dennis Begin
Vancouver is a premier destination for all types of travellers - from RVers (and now Snowbirds) to outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers from all walks of life. Tourism dollars contribute $14 billion annually to its economy and those who find their way to Canada’s third-largest city generally enjoy the sights, sounds and flavours of Gastown, Stanley Park, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain and, of course, False Creek.
Historical Background
The historical growth of False Creek can be attributed to two major developments. The Squamish First Nations’ ancestral home was False Creek, named Senakw or Snauq and was located under the Burrard Street Bridge.
Snauq is Spanish for ‘sandbar’ and when Captain Richards surveyed English Bay in 1859, he explored what he thought was a creek, but soon realized it was an inlet of sand bars and tidal flats. Richards, therefore, called the inlet a ‘False Creek.’ The original False Creek was four times its present size, extending east to Clark Drive and flowed into Burrard Inlet at high tide.
Dennis Begin
The Granville Public Market is foodies’ delight with fresh seafood, regional produce and more.
The second major development was the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railroad (C.P.R.) on May 23, 1887. Rail services stopped at the foot of Howe Street with the first terminus near the present Waterfront Station [SkyTrain]. The railroad required more land for maintenance sheds and a roundhouse on the North Shore of False Creek.
Negotiations with the provincial government resulted in the railroad receiving 6,000 free acres, tax relief for 20 years and a land grant called Shaughnessy. As for the name of this new city, Vancouver seemed to be more appropriate than Gastown or Granville.
Industrial Island
The only problem with the C.P.R. owning most of what is now downtown Vancouver was that False Creek soon became a polluted industrial swamp. Various industries flocked to the area due to the easy access to the railroad. Some of the industries on False Creek included the Vancouver Granite Company and the MacDonald Coalyard, both located between the Burrard and Granville Bridges. Rogers Arena was the former location of Cassidy’s Sash/Door Factory and Hurt’s Furniture Factory. The Fader Brothers Sawmill is now the George Wainborn Park and smaller businesses ranged from a slaughterhouse, breweries and a tannery.
Dennis Begin
One of the many fruit stands inside the Public Market.
Most of the industries catered to logging, mining and shipping with little consideration for protecting the environment. The result, unfortunately, was raw sewage being dumped into False Creek, including both industrial and human waste. The smell combined with coal smoke was enough to produce a permanent haze over the city. What was once a great source of seafood for the indigenous people became a toxic effluent. By 1900, False Creek had a ‘four letter’ nickname that reflected its foul stench.
Revitalization
By 1917 the area began a revitalization process. The first step was to create an island out of the two large sandbars on the South Shore of False Creek. The National Harbour Commission (N.H.C.) built a seawall and then filled in the 16 ha (40 ac) by dredging False Creek and using material from various construction sites.
The dredging of False Creek continued on and off for decades. Two bridges (Granville and Cambie), and the Kitsilano Trestle connected the island to the North and South Shores. In the 1950s, an area known as ‘Sutcliffe Park’ was filled in and Granville Island became a peninsula.
Dennis Begin
Granville Island Brewing, one of the many local craft breweries.
Granville Island Public Market
By 1970, False Creek remained an industrial wasteland with dilapidated buildings and rotting wharves. Neither the City of Vancouver nor the C.P.R. wanted to take responsibility for the environmental disaster. In 1973, the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation (C.H.M.C.) administered Granville Island on behalf of the Federal Government. Following years of renovations, the Granville Public Market opened in 1978 and quickly became the main attraction on the island.
This acclaimed market is made up of six former industrial buildings that were once occupied by B.C. Equipment and Wright’s Ropes. Currently, the area encompasses 50 independent vendors, creating a food lover’s paradise. There are vegetables from the Fraser Valley, fruit from the Okanagan, Coho salmon from the Strait of Georgia and Dungeness crab from the Gulf Islands. The food is fresh and locally produced. You can enjoy lunch outside the Food Court while enjoying musicians and the buskers. Up to 10.5 million people visit False Creek and the immediate area annually.
Island Attractions
Granville Island is where art and business blend together with free parking. Go online to the Directory of Granville Island and use the index symbols for Activities & Attractions, Arts & Artisans, Boutiques, Business & Services and Vendors. Sections of Granville Island also have themes such as the Martine Market with businesses such as The Lobster Man. The Net Loft is an eclectic collection of quality artisan shops and The Adventure Zone encompasses the Kid’s Market. The Railspur has unique businesses including B.C. Blacksmith and Hartman Leather. Pick up a map and go exploring.
Dennis Begin
Pelican Bay Marina.
However, Granville Island is more than a public market. There are trendy float homes (Sea Village), a marina (Pelican Bay), a hotel (Granville Island), theatres (Arts Club), breweries (Granville Village Brewing) and fine dining (the Sandbar Seafood Restaurant). It’s easy to get around False Creek by using the Aquabus or False Creek Ferries. These little passenger ferries travel from Kitsilano Point to Science World and are pet-, wheelchair- and bike-friendly.
Expo 86
The finishing touch to revitalization came in 1986 with Expo 86. Vancouver hosted a world fair with the theme of Transportation and Communication. It lasted 22 weeks with 54 countries participating. Vancouver had become a global destination leaving a legacy of the SkyTrain, Science World, Rogers Arena and Canada Place. The property of Expo 86 was later sold to Concord Pacific Developments under Li Ka-shing who re-developed the North Shore into Canada’s master-planned condo community.
The Giants
As for heavy industry on the island, only Ocean Construction remains and is a Ready Mix concrete business. In 2014, two Brazilian street painters were commissioned to paint the six cement silos. The twin brothers [Os Gemeos] called their colourful creation ‘The Giants.’ Ocean Construction is the last connection to the industrial past of Granville Island and today, The Giants are a symbol of what the future may bring to this popular area of Canada’s third-largest city.
Dennis Begin