In May 1924, John Thomas Guy, a 40-year old Englishman, arrived in Vancouver seeking a site for his dream of building a piano making factory. After a brief exploration, he met with the Board of Trade and announced himself impressed with the possibilities, and noting that most of the materials he would need were available … Continue reading Commercial Drive’s Own Piano Man
A joint meeting of the Grandview Rate-Payers Association and the Parent-Teacher Association held at the Grandview Dancing Academy was told by the principal, H.B. Fitch, that attendance at Grandview School had jumped from 330 to 650 pupils. The school was seriously overcrowded. The principal urged everyone to get behind a new School Board By-law that … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview #22
. Access to the newly-enhanced illustrated Inventory of every building that has existed on Commercial Drive since the beginning can be found at: https://jaksview3.ca/historical-inventory-of-buildings-on-commercial-drive
. In September 1911, the BC Electric Company purchased most of the block at McLean and E. 2nd Avenue, and over the next few years built a full-scale gas works on the block. By 2nd February 1924, the Grandview gasworks had become a fully integrated part of Vancouver' power supply, and the company proudly advertised it … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #21
The Belmont Building at 1433-37 Commercial is architecturally unique on the Drive, with the open archway between the two bays. The lot was owned by Mrs Gamble and she paid $265 to Wylie & Ross to have a small shack-like store erected here from 1904. In 1912, major Grandview developer James Guinet purchased the property … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #19
. Labour Strife In the late fall of 1923, the Vancouver waterfront was the scene of labour strife that occasionally turned violent. During the weekend of November 24-25, some of that violence spilled over into Grandview. Several strikers were alleged to have attacked several men, and they were also responsible for breaking a window in … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, # 18
. William T. Oates ran the Grandview Stationery store at 1150 Commercial Drive from 1921-1924. He and his wife, Elizabeth, lived with their son Cresswell in three rooms above paying $50 a month. Not only was he a stationer but he also ran a kennel for cocker spaniels. On this day in 1923, he ran … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #17
. Armed Robbery of a Boy Jack Sherlock was a delivery boy for White's Grocery at 2657 Commercial Drive. He received a telephone order to deliver groceries to a house in the 1300 block of E. 8th Avenue. He was specifically requested to make sure he had change with him. He was unable to find … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview #16
. At a meeting on Friday 28th September 1923, the members and supporters of the Little Theatre approved "with much enthusiasm" the purchase of the Palace Theatre, 637 Commercial Drive. Built in 1913 as the Alcazar, it is now the York Theatre. For the previous two years, the Little Theatre -- described as "a true … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #15
. On August 4th, 1923, J.B. Elliogolt was granted Building Permit A-6234 to erect "new stores" valued at $6,000 on the corner of Commercial and Grant. He delivered a fine building which, after a major renovation in 1975, continues to grace the street one hundred years later. Image: GoogleStreetMaps, June 2022.
. I have today uploaded a large PDF file entitled Historical Survey of Food on Commercial Drive which, to the best of my belief, lists every restaurant and food supplier (grocer, baker, butcher, etc) that has operated on Commercial Drive between Venables and 7th Avenue since about 1905. Some listings are simply a name and … Continue reading Historical Survey of Food on the Drive
. I have today uploaded a document called Inventory of Commercial Drive Buildings. It is, so far as I can make it, an accurate listing of every building that has ever been on Commercial Drive between Venables Street and 7th Avenue. Entries in boldface are buildings that exist today; those in plain type are no … Continue reading Inventory of Commercial Drive Buildings
Vigilante Mothers Get Their Man Throughout the early part of June 1923, police received reports of a man acting inappropriately toward young girls in Grandview's parks. Unfortunately, detectives were unable to catch him and "the situation became so bad that mothers said they were afraid to let their children out of their sight." However, on … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #13
The Great Storm of '23 On Tuesday 5th June 1923, Vancouver was enjoying a heat wave, with noontime temperatures close to 80 across the city. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a storm erupted east of the city, moving rapidly west, moving first over Grandview and then much of downtown. "Great crashing in the heavens and … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #12
. The Pool Parlour On Tuesday 29th May 1923, G.J. Westwood received a building permit for a $3,000 one-storey building at 1816-1818 Commercial Drive. He hired William Francis Jones to design it, and R.E. James to build it, and by the following spring, Grandview Recreations was open for business at 1816 under the management of … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #11
Strawberries In the early spring of 1923, shoppers in Vancouver had been buying strawberries from Washington State. However, on Monday 28th May 1923: "The first British Columbia straws were put on sale Monday by a Chinese vegetable dealer at 1409 Commercial Drive, two crates being received from his Woodward's Landing ranch ... The inspector declared … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #10
. On Friday, 18th May 1923, John Y. Steel received a $3,000 building permit for a new store at 1544 Commercial. Steel had operated a dry goods business at 1584 Commercial since 1918. This image from 1922 shows the empty lot beside the corner block. Steel had moved into his new building by the spring … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #9
One hundred years ago today it was Mother's Day and then, as now, flowers were the usual gift for the celebration. At the time of this ad in the Vancouver Sun, Grandview Florists had been established less than one year. They would stay on the Drive until the mid-1980s. The full history of the Buftons … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #8
A Major Accident Friday 27th April 1923 began as an ordinary working day. That afternoon, Drive power-broker and realtor Charles Smith was driving his touring car south on Commercial. He had in the car with him a Mr Wilbrand who was looking for a property, and a Mr. Robinson who seems to have been just … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #7
. Monday 19th March 1923 saw the first running of motor buses as scheduled units within the BC Electric system. It seems self-evident to us today that the bus would eventually take over the role in transit that streetcars used to serve. But in 1923, this was still a new and exciting development, allowing better … Continue reading 100 Years Ago Today in Grandview, #6
grandviewheritagegroup.ca 