Was Gassy Jack’s Statue Toppled By His Courageous Wife?

09 Apr 2024

The man stood on a barrel, a rope around his neck. Cheers rang out as the rope tightened. Man and barrel teetered, then quickly crashed dramatically to the ground. “Gassy” Jack Deighton, Gastown’s namesake, was...

The Man Who Named Vancouver’s Streets… and Barely Escaped With His Life

04 Mar 2024

Leg-In-Boot Square, Blood Alley, Bucketwheel… Vancouver has some eccentric street names and many more conventional ones. It will probably come as no surprise to learn that 276 streets are named after men (in contrast, only...

Unearthing Vancouver’s Chilling History in Gastown

04 Oct 2023

As the autumn leaves fall gently on the cobblestone streets, Vancouver undergoes a transformation. Beyond the costumes and pumpkin-spiced treats, a darker allure emerges. Welcome to Gastown, where the echoes of the past reverberate through...

Truth & Reconciliation Day: Spotlight on Luke Marston

29 Sep 2023

The Truth and Reconciliation Day, on September 30th, is celebrated as a day for Canadians to acknowledge the harm caused by the residential schools and to honour the Indigenous survivors of these schools. As a...

Squatting Early Vancouver Part 2: Cut Throat Johnny’s

01 Jun 2022

[By Lani Russwurm] This is the second post in our Squatting Early Vancouver Series. Don’t miss out on part 1 about the Tar Flat neighourhood. When the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in Vancouver in the...

Mugshot of Tar Flat resident William Rutt, aka, Billy the Rat, 11 January 1902. He was sentenced for stealing blankets from an Indigenous woman. City of Vancouver Archives #480-456.

Squatting Early Vancouver Part 1: Tar Flat

30 Mar 2022

[By Lani Russwurm] Like many cities grappling with skyrocketing housing prices, makeshift squatter communities have become a hot button political issue in Vancouver in recent years. But throughout the city’s history, these enclaves and...