As Vancouver’s 125th anniversary and year as a Cultural Capital of Canada comes to a close there are many wonderful events, activities and memories to reflect on and a number of Vancouver 125 projects that will live on as legacies of this year of celebration.
Major Matthews’ Early Vancouver
All seven volumes of Major Matthews’ Early Vancouver, a popular resource on Vancouver’s early history written by Vancouver’s first City Archivist, are now available online. Written between 1931 and 1956, Early Vancouver represents years of arduous labour by Vancouver’s first City Archivist, Major James Skitt Matthews and it is a popular resource documenting Vancouver’s early history that was previously available only in hard copy in the Archives’ Reading Room. Learn more…
Yaletown Productions
The City of Vancouver Archives’ largest moving-image acquisition to date is the works of Yaletown Productions Inc., which produced documentaries, commercials, and tourism films about the city, Expo 86, and B.C. from the 1970s to 1990s. Included in the collection are over 300 hours of final productions and raw footage. Some materials are available now on the Vancouver Archives website, and the complete collection will be online in early 2012. Learn more…
Interactive Vancouver Building Permit Database
Heritage Vancouver’s new interactive Vancouver Building Permit Database unlocks a legacy of information about thousands of Vancouver’s historic buildings. One of the most frequent questions at the City of Vancouver Archives is “How old is my house?” Until now, the early building permit information for Vancouver buildings has been locked away in chronological register books, not searchable in any way. Learn more…
Vancouver 125 Legacy Books Project
The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia (ABPBC) has launched a collection of 10 classic Vancouver books. Previously out-of-print, these books are now available as new editions as part of the Vancouver 125 Legacy Books project. Ranging from the classic oral history of Daphne Marlatt and Carole Itter’s Opening Doors to Vancouver’s most notorious unsolved murder mystery in Edward Starkins’ Who Killed Janet Smith? the titles in this collection are a testament to the depth of Vancouver’s literary history and the vibrant writing community that now thrives in our city. Learn more…
The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver
Author Chuck Davis embraced 125 years of material, with the exuberance and talent for storytelling that made him one of Vancouver’s most successful and beloved journalists and broadcasters. This volume represents the culmination of his life as a folk historian and of his immense contribution to historical knowledge of the city of Vancouver. It was nearly realized, but not quite completed before his death in November, 2010. Harbour Publishing worked with Davis on The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver for five years, and has collaborated with the Vancouver Historical Society to complete the volume in 2011 to mark the city’s 125th anniversary. Learn more…
Vancouver 125 Poetry Conference Sound Recordings
The Vancouver 125 Poetry Conference, a four day gathering of close to 100 of Canadian and North American contemporary poets organized by Vancouver’s second Poet Laureate Brad Cran, took place as part of the city’s 125th anniversary celebrations on October 19-22, 2011. The complete sound recordings from the conference including readings, panel discussions and the welcome ceremony for Vancouver’s new Poet Laureate Evelyn Lau will be available shortly through the City of Vancouver Archives.
20 Songs Inspired by Vancouver
20 free songs by 20 local artists are now available for download thanks to a partnership between The PEAK Performance Project, Music BC, and a host of hard working artists, producers and recording students.
The songs are all inspired by Vancouver and written to commemorate the city’s 125th birthday this year. Listen online or download here.
125 Vancouver Stories
As part of the City’s 125 celebrations, Vancouver Park Board selected a team of digital media artists to work within the Vancouver community to capture the oral histories, stories and memories of local residents. 125 of these Vancouver stories were collected, reflecting Vancouver’s diverse multicultural population, including narratives from members of First Nations and immigrant communities. Learn more here and here.
Celebrate Vancouver 125 Mural Projects
The City of Vancouver’s Great Beginnings program was launched in 2008 and brings—among other projects—more than 20 community-driven murals to Vancouver’s Downtown East Side. The Vancouver 125 Mural Program partnered with Great Beginnings to commission new community murals in neighbourhoods across Vancouver. These celebratory murals will be documented in a Vancouver Murals Map that will feature stories, images, and historical photos that inspired the creation of over 150 murals since 2003. Visit MuralsVancouver.ca.
Resources
- Vancouver 125 Event Highlights
- Celebration photos on Flickr
- Videos of select Vancouver 125 projects on Vimeo
