Once upon a time, not so very long ago, two low sandbars lay
at the mouth of a forest-ringed inlet. The Squamish people fished around these
sandbars, and gathered the sea’s bounty at low tide.
In 1859, Captain George Richards of the British Royal Navy explored
the waterway beyond the sandbars. He and his crew named it False Creek.
Logging soon began in the area, and logging companies set up
mills around False Creek. The settlement of Vancouver grew quickly, and was incorporated
as a city in 1886.
In 1889, a bridge was built across the sandbars, the first
of what would be three (so far) Granville
Island Bridges. “Granville,” by the way, was the name of the British
minister for colonies in those days, the second Earl Granville.
Oh, I just have to
give you his full name, because it’s so
cool: Granville George Leveson-Gower, Second Earl Granville. Imagine his mom
yelling all that to call him in for
dinner!
In 1915, sand and mud dredged out of False Creek were used
to build the two sandbars into a big island. It was named Industrial Island.
Industry grew and changed around False Creek … and so did
the city of Vancouver.
In 1973, a federal politician named Ron Basford helped Vancouverites
change the “industrial island” into the Granville
Island we know and love today: a beautiful public market, and a neighbourhood
of theatres, shops, restaurants, galleries, the Emily Carr Institute of Art and
Design, a community centre, and a playground. There’s even still a bit of
industry – Ocean Construction Supplies Ltd. has
a bustling cement plant here.
Condominiums cluster around the island’s southern entrance. People
also live in houseboats in “Sea Village,” on Granville Island’s northern shore!
Our stroll along Vancouver’s 22 kilometres of seawall leads
us from Kitsilano right to Granville
Island. It’s the perfect spot for a break.
The island is filled with historic buildings, many of them
updated to preserve Granville Island’s industrial heritage. In what was once a
factory, over a century old, you’ll find one of my favourite places: the Kids
Market! It holds about 30 shops on two floors and is total fun.
It’s next to a nice pond that geese and ducks like, too.
There’s a marina next to Granville Island where you can moor your boat, or charter one to go fishing in English Bay.
Big sheds next to the marina are often busy with people
fixing or cleaning their boats.
Buskers perform
on sidewalks and patios around the market. A “busker” is someone who plays music
or entertains in public places. If you enjoy a busker’s performance, it’s
always nice to put a little money into the hat or basket you might see beside
them.
These fellows’ show is burning
hot!
You’ll find all kinds of great stuff for sale in the market,
like fruit and vegetables …
bread and bagels …
cookies and cakes …
fudge and candy (or do those strawberries count as fruit?) …
ooh, honey! Bears love honey! Fran here showed me all kinds
of products made from honey …
fish and seafood …
mmm, and lots of other wonderful things. You can also buy a
snack and something to drink, and sit either indoors or outside to people-watch.
If you’re too tired to keep walking, you can always catch a
ride on one of the nimble little ferry boats that run up and down False Creek.
I’m feeling refreshed now, though; how about you? Let’s
continue our stroll along the seawall in my next post.
Story © S. Clouthier
Photos © S. Clouthier and D. Wei
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