INTRODUCTION
Unless you’ve lived in Vancouver for more than 200 years, hitting the streets in the city you thought you knew almost everything about can trigger some eye-opening surprises, and raise more than a few questions.
For example: Why is the cenotaph located in what’s now called Victory Square? Where did the first Greenpeace protest launch from? Who died in the old Hotel Georgia? Where is there a marker for the first official visit by a U.S. president, and why is it a memorial? Which much-loved building was once the Canadian headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan? Where is the city’s best hotdog stand? Just how many time capsules are hidden in this city, anyway? And, of course, which are the best bars to visit on a merry trawl around Gastown?
Slip on your (preferably waterproof) walking shoes, tuck this book into your backpack, and you’re on your way to finding out the answers. Just remember one key maxim: slow down and you’ll likely enjoy it a whole lot more.
1 DOWNTOWN: ARTS & ARCHITECTURE
BOUNDARIES: W. Hastings St., Burrard St., W. Georgia St., Howe St.
DISTANCE: ½ mile/¾ kilometre
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARKING: There is an underground parkade at 999 W. Hastings St.—the entrance is on the east side of Burrard. There’s also underground parking at Canada Place, a short walk away.
PUBLIC TRANSIT: The Burrard SkyTrain station is on the west side of Burrard St., just past the intersection with Dunsmuir St. Buses 22, 44, and 98 B-Line also stop along Burrard.
The heart of Vancouver’s latter-day central business district radiates from the W. Hastings St. and Burrard St. intersection. This is where the city’s main bank and corporate headquarters colonize the mirrored glass skyscrapers,
