Vancouver's Early Days

[Russ_Byth]

Being somewhat of a BC history buff, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble across this on YouTube. I believe there are 4 parts to the 1962 documentary which I will post below. Best watched at 480p, and keep an eye out for the opening credits about 2:30 into the first video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I10QE2GUns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrnqpX_E ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2GPGYYY ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tu9OVTn ... re=related

[another dog]

Russ, that's sure takes us back to the good old $1.49 day specials.

It also has very interesting value to all us buffs, thanks for the memories.

[Jack Bennest]

John Ansell is still alive

Art Jones has moved upstairs

[Mike Cleaver]

Notice John's magnificent narration, diction, pacing, etc.
About the only broadcaster still on the air here in Vancouver with that exact talent is Andy Walsh.
You can hear similarities in their pacing and cadence.
Back in the day, when it was only AM and the equipment was nowhere near as sophisticated as today, good clear diction and enunciation was extremely important so listeners could hear exactly what was being said.

[BossRadio]

Great stuff! Truly amazing aerial shots ...Vancouver before the proliferation of high rises, and the North shore without sprawl. Loved the line in the segment with the helicopters about one being "a radio station in the air!"

[jawbone]

Very interesting perspective of things from almost 50 years ago!

[Neumann Sennheiser]

Four minutes into Part 3 you see a picture of a horse-drawn fuel oil tanker; one of the two drivers smoking a cigar.
He was later transferred to the dynamite, kerosine and nitro-glycerine hauling service and no one's heard of him since.

[Destro]

that is very cool. I am not as anti-high rise as some... but it is neat seeing Vancouver as a forested frontier outpost.

There is an old video of Victoria in the early 1900s floating around the internet too, which is a bit of a trip.

[Russ_Byth]

Here's one more. A 4 minute travelogue on what British tourists will find in Vancouver after arriving on a Trans Canada Airlines Super Constellation in the 50's. Thanks to sandclan for passing this along!

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=826

[Jack Bennest]

So 50's

Noticed 1 VW and the announcer talking about "red" indians.

Even though the indians had feather headress - he had to distinguish between those who are red
and those who might have a different shade.

[Neumann Sennheiser]

Clearly Plains Indians mislocated at least 600 miles and a mountain range or so too far west.
The shopping market scenes look like it could be the "old" Oakridge Mall before the major renovations in the 1970's.

[J Kendrick]

The shopping market scenes look like it could be the "old" Oakridge Mall before the major renovations in the 1970's.

That's the old Woodward's and the F.W. Woolworth's store next door at the original Park Royal Mall in West Van... buildings that are still standing today but in those days they were fronted onto what was then an outdoor parking lot. Those same buildings are currently occupied by The Bay and Eddie Bauer in what is the now enclosed mall at Park Royal North.

[Dan Sys]

Neumann, I'm pretty sure that the shopping mall on the clip is Park Royal (the north side with Woodwards). Looks like Marine Drive in the background.

[Neumann Sennheiser]

Okay, I'll defer to better judgment on that one.
While on the thread subject, here's the link to Chuck Davis' "History of Metropolitan Vancouver"
This opens it to the year 1974 but, as you'll see, you can choose any year up to 1994 and each one is a cornucopia of information.
http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/chronology1974.htm
No one loves Vancouver and it's history more than Chuck (and a hell of a nice person too!).