James Johnstone is back with his historical walking tours and will be kicking off his first tour this Saturday, February 21st. James will take you on a tour of one of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, Strathcona. The tour kicks off at 10:00 a.m. starting from 696 East Hastings at Heatley. This historical walking tour is a culmination of years of researching over 250 homes in the East End. Although you will find architecture is a theme on this tour, James will also focus on social history and how waves of immigrants established themselves in this area before moving on to other parts of the city. The tour will also touch on the impact of portside industries like BC Sugar, the prohibition and the proliferation of bootlegging as well as the City of Vancouver’s attempts to wipe out “urban blight”. Join James this Saturday and he will tell you why Vancouver’s first neighbourhood is also its most fascinating. The cost of the tour is $20 per person. If you are unable to attend this weekend’s tour, James will be repeating this tour on February 28th, March 7th, March 14th and March 21st. If you would like more information or to reserve your spot, email James directly at historywalks@gmail.com.
James Johnstone Historical Walking Tour Strathcona February 21st
19 Feb
History Walk With James Johnstone Saturday, August 3rd
1 Aug
Join James Johnstone this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. for a historical walking tour of Vancouver’s Milltown – Strathcona North of Hastings. The largely industrialized area of the Strathcona North of Hastings is the oldest part of the city of Vancouver. The point of land on the north foot of Dunlevy where Captain Edward Stamp established Vancouver’s first industry, the Hastings Mill (originally the Vancouver Island Spar, Lumber & Sawmill Co.) in 1865, was known as Kumkumalay (“big leaf maple trees”).
You will learn many interesting facts on this tour such as Vancouver’s first Mayor, Malcolm A. MacLean, as well as world-renowned theoretical physicist Shuichi Kusaka (a protégé of Albert Einstein) both lived on the 300-block of East Cordova Street. One of the oldest houses still standing in Vancouver, the Thomas Dunn house, is on the north side of the same block. James promises this is a tour like no other and will bring along a binder filled with old archival images of houses, buildings and people from days gone by.
The walk departs from 611 Alexander Street at the north foot of Princess Avenue and runs for 2 hours. The cost is $20 per person. To reserve your spot, email James directly at historywalks@gmail.com. If you can’t make it this Saturday, this walk is being offered again on September 21st.
ILiveInEastVan.com 