Past & Present: Cordova Street, 1900/2017

Here’s an old street we explore in The Lost Souls of Gastown Tour.Cordova Street looking west at Cambie, ca. 1900 and 2017. The building on the left, on Cambie Street, in the 2017 pic was built in 1913 at the tail end of a major building boom. It’s a triangular building called the Panama Block, named after the Panama Canal that was under construction at the time and was expected to be a major boon to BC’s economy. Just behind it is the Arlington Block (or Hotel), built in 1887 and still going strong.Note the bicycles on the right: before cars took over city streets, cyclists routinely leaned their rides up against the curb. Unlocked.1900 photo from the Online Archive of California, UCR/California Museum of Photography #1996.0009.X4834. Information on the Panama Block from Changing Vancouver.