City of Vancouver Archives

+1 on this! I visited the Archives for the first time a few weeks ago and the grassy-​roofed bunker is a perfect place to chill in peace while looking up all kinds of interesting facts (and photos!)

This is the beat the heat spot! As I sit here in a quiet reading room, surrounded by the pictorial history of our city (and looking at the front entrance of Bard on the Beach) I can’t help but think, dang, we live in an amazing place!
Things you should know for your visit:
–It’s Free!
–The WiFi is Free too
–You need photo ID for your membership card (also free)
–You can’t bring bags, food or drink into the archival area (lockers are… you guessed it — free!)
–Did I mention parking is free too?
–The people that work here are VERY helpful! Like friendly librarians, only better!
–There’s 3 types of research types for pictorial archives: the website, Major Matthews Photo Collection (Vancouver’s first archivist) and the City of Vancouver’s photo collection. Make sure you have your keyword hat on — you’ve gotta know what you’re wanting to look for!
So today, in the spirit of the heat, I decided to dive into the history of Vancouver’s beaches and here’s what I came up with (so far):
–English Bay had a pier! Erected 1909; Demolished 1939
–Joe Fortes liked the water — big shock!
–Kits Beach and English Bay were the only two beaches that allowed for tenters — until 1908 when they changed this rule — too unhygienic.
I can’t wait for my next history lesson + beating the heat all at once!