Former Main Post Office · Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Bobanny assumed (based on copyright claims) · Public domain

31historic places on the registers

History of Vancouver · Canada’s heritage registers

10 top designations among Vancouver’s 31 historic places

The record has 17 provincial or municipal listings, 3 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings and a heritage railway station. The oldest dated place, Vancouver's Chinatown, goes back to 1880. Wikidata knows 80 more provincial or municipal listings here that get no page, lacking an open statement or an encyclopedia article.

31photos 10highest designations 1880oldest building

Historic places

Highest designations

National Historic Sites and Classified Federal Heritage Buildings

Other federal designations

Recognized buildings, railway stations, lighthouses

Provincial and local listings

provincial and municipal listings with an encyclopedia article

Oldest building

1880

the first construction date on its record

Homes built before 1961

20%

typical town: 18%

In pictures

Past and present Vancouver: 31 photos, 16 old views

Every place on Vancouver’s registers has a photo here. 11 of Vancouver’s places also have old views on their own pages. First come Former Main Post Office and Former Vancouver Law Courts.

Former Vancouver Law Courts

Marpole Midden

St. Roch

Stanley Park

Vancouver Japanese Language School+26See all photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the place’s page. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.

Through time

Vancouver between 1860 and 1917

10 old photographs of the town, then the oldest views of 6 of its historic places, set out by date. Tap any picture to see it full screen.

Fort Vancouver, Hudson's Bay Co's. post, Columbia River, enclosing tents of N. A. (i.e., North American) Boundary Commission, May 1860 LCCN2003663138 — Before ConfederationFort Vancouver, Hudson's Bay Co's. post, Columbia River, enclosing tents of N. …Photo: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress · Public domain

Confederation to 1900Downtown Vancouver and Burrard Inlet, viewed from the Hotel VancouverPhoto: James Skitt Matthews · Public domain

Confederation to 1900Canadian Pacific Ry. Station, Vancouver, B. C (NYPL b12647398-62738)Photo: Detroit Publishing Company · Public domain

Confederation to 1900Granville Street, Vancouver, B. C (NYPL b12647398-62737)Photo: Detroit Publishing Company · Public domain

Boom yearsCentral Park Line in the Early DaysPhoto: Matthews, James Skitt, Majort · Public domain

Boom yearsBeatty St opening 1901Public domain

Boom yearsFMIB 44262 General View of the Plant of the Western Canadian Fish CoPublic domain

Boom yearsPostcard- Original CPR Hotel Vancouver with West Wing Addition, c.1905Photo: Rob · Public domain

Boom yearsCarnegie Library in Vancouver, British Columbia, between 1903 and 1912Public domain

Boom yearsPostcard- CPR Hotel Vancouver, c.1908Photo: Rob · Public domain

Boom yearsCVA 677-521 - Great Fraser Midden showing skeletonPhoto: Philip Timms · Public domain

Boom yearsGranville Street, December 20th (HS85-10-25048)Photo: R. Broadbridge · Public domain

Boom yearsPantages Theatre Vancouver circa1912Public domain

B.C. Electric Railway Company shuttle service, between Highland Park and Edmonds on the Central Park Line — Boom yearsB.C. Electric Railway Company shuttle service, between Highland Park and Edmond…Public domain

The wars and betweenEnglish Bay Pier, 1917Photo: Gowen, Frank · Public domain

Vancouver Block Building, a fifteen-storey Edwardian style commercial building, located near the intersection of Georgia and Granville Streets in Vancouver, Bri — The wars and betweenVancouver Block Building, a fifteen-storey Edwardian style commercial building,…Public domain

Public domain or CC0, made before 1950, from Wikimedia Commons; old views of places can be drawings, prints or maps of their time. Each credit opens the image’s page.

How it began

Vancouver’s early dates, from 1886

By 1919 the place had a station: Pacific Central Station. Its predecessor on record: Granville. Its record also notes 2010 Winter Olympics (2010).

The date Wikidata keeps for Vancouver is 1886; whether it was a founding or a legal act, the entry leaves open. The name of Vancouver honours George Vancouver.

How it began: Wikidata (CC0).

Highest designations

10 places in Vancouver with the highest designation

The first was designated in 1933, the latest in 2019. They are 9 National Historic Sites and a Classified Federal Heritage Building. National Historic Sites and Classified Federal Heritage Buildings, Canada’s highest federal recognition. Each one opens its own page.

National Historic Site · 1880–2003Vancouver's ChinatownPender StreetPhoto: MRDXII · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons file

National Historic Site · 1886–1915Gastown Historic DistrictPhoto: Jennie Robinson · CC BY 2.0 · Commons file

National Historic Site · 1888–1989Stanley ParkGeorgia StreetPhoto: squeakymarmot · CC BY 2.0 · Commons file

National Historic Site · 1892Marpole Midden73rd Avenue at Cartier StreetPhoto: Holbytlan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons file

National Historic Site · 1907–1912Former Vancouver Law Courts800 Hornby StreetPhoto: GoToVan from Vancouver, Canada · CC BY 2.0 · Commons file

National Historic Site · 1926–1928Orpheum Theatre884 Granville StreetPhoto: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons file

National Historic Site · 1928–1929St. Roch1905 Ogden AvenuePhoto: Napa · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons file

National Historic Site · 1928–1929Vancouver Japanese Language School487 Alexander StreetPhoto: Cordovanorth · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons file

National Historic Site · 1940–1942Vogue Theatre918 Granville StreetPhoto: Jenn McInnis · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons file

Classified Federal Heritage Building · 1905–1911Former Main Post Office701 West Hastings StreetPhoto: No machine-readable author provided. Bobanny assumed (based on copyright claims) · Public domain · Commons file

Other federal designations

4 other places Canada recognizes in Vancouver

They are 3 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings and a heritage railway station. Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings, heritage railway stations and lighthouses. Their dates run from 1899, with Armoury, to 1935. Each one opens its own page.

Recognized Federal Heritage Building · 1899–1903Armoury620 Beatty StreetPhoto: Bobanny · Public domain · Commons file

Recognized Federal Heritage Building · 1932–1934Bessborough Armoury2025 West 11th StreetPhoto: Thomson, Stuart (Photographer) · Public domain · Commons file

Recognized Federal Heritage Building · 1935–1937Seaforth Armoury1650 Burrard StreetPhoto: Bobanny · Public domain · Commons file

Heritage Railway Station · 1917–1918Canadian National Railways / VIA Rail Station, Vancouver, British Columbia1150 Station StreetPhoto: Holbytlan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons file

What’s designated

23% of Vancouver’s historic places are theatres, museums and memorials

Its places fall into 7 kinds. Second on the list: forts and military buildings, 3 of them. Two of the highest-ranked are Vancouver's Chinatown and Gastown Historic District.

Theatres, museums and memorials7

Forts and military buildings3

Public buildings3

Mills, shops and works2

Stations, lighthouses and bridges1

Churches and religious buildings1

Other places14

Grouped by what each register says the place is or was; a converted building counts as what it was built for.

Provincial and local listings

17 local listings in Vancouver

Provincial and municipal listings that Wikidata records and an encyclopedia describes. Their dates run from 1886, with “Victory Square, Vancouver”, to 1969. Each one opens its own page.

All 17, A to Z

Bloedel Conservatory Carnegie Community Centre Coastal Church Dominion Building Electra Building Flack Block Hastings Park Hotel Europe Hotel Georgia Kuomintang Building Ovaltine Cafe Pantages Theatre Queen Elizabeth Theatre Sam Kee Building Sun Tower Vancouver Block Victory Square, Vancouver

How old

For Vancouver, most dated places belong to the decades after Confederation

Each place by the first construction date on its record.

British North America 1760–18660

After Confederation 1867–191317

Wars and Depression 1914–19458

Since 1946 1946 on2

When designated

Vancouver on the registers since 1933

The places by the year of their designation.

192019401960198020002020

The earliest designation is Marpole Midden’s, from 1933. 2 came in 1991. The list has grown by 2 since 2011.

Homes by age

Vancouver is still building: 9.1% of homes date from 2016 to 2021, against 4.1%

Homes built from 2001 to 2015 make up 21% of Vancouver’s, against 15% in the typical town. The largest single period is from 1981 to 2000, with 27% of Vancouver’s homes. 20% of Vancouver’s homes predate 1961, close to the typical town’s 18%.

20%

Before 1961

23%

1961–80

27%

1981–2000

21%

2001–15

9.1%

2016–21

VancouverTypical town

2021 Census, private dwellings by period of construction (Statistics Canada); the typical town is the middle Canadian town of 2,500 or more.

Born here

Natives of Vancouver from 1864 to 1913

There are 70 people born here before 1914 with an article to show for it. The widest known is June Havoc: 29 Wikipedia editions. Jimmie Gibb reached 102, the longest life here, ending in 2013. 69 of the 70 were born in the decades after Confederation. Only the 20 best known fit the timeline.

Chief Dan George

John Qualen

Hubert Wallace

George MacKay

Catherine Lough Haggquist

Elsie MacGill

S. I. Hayakawa

Bert Hoffmeister

Percy Williams

Philip Rogers

Jean Coulthard

Victoria Hopper

Katherine DeMille

Chuck Chapman

Frank Elliott

June Havoc

Peggy Cartwright

Emilio Reuben

Henry Pybus Bell-Irving

L. S. Stavrianos

18501875190019251950

June Havoc1912–2010 · American actress, vaudeville performer, and memoirist

Percy Williams1908–1982 · Canadian athlete

Chief Dan George1899–1981 · Canadian indigenous leader, indian interpreter

S. I. Hayakawa1906–1992 · Canadian-American academic and politician

John Qualen1899–1987 · Canadian-American actor of Norwegian origin

Katherine DeMille1911–1995 · Actress

Elsie MacGill1905–1980 · The first female aircraft designer

Chuck Chapman1911–2002 · Canadian basketball player

Everyone born in Vancouver → Born before 1914 (the page’s periods: Confederation to the First World War). Birthplaces from Wikidata, each checked against the person’s Wikipedia article.

Neighbours

Vancouver and its neighbours

Town	People	Places	Highest	Oldest
Vancouver	740,454	31	10	1880
Riley Park	23,682	1	0	1969
Mount Pleasant	37,091	0	0	—
South Cambie	9,846	0	0	—
Little Saigon	11,086	0	0	—
Fairview	33,969	1	0	1935
Shaughnessy	8,034	0	0	—

In brief

Vancouver in brief

Vancouver has 20% of its homes from before 1961, against 18% in the typical town. The lists come to 31 historic places, 10 with the highest designation, including Vancouver's Chinatown. Its places of the highest designation cluster together: 3 of them stand within 400 m of Former Vancouver Law Courts. Dates cluster in the decades after Confederation: 17 of 27. June Havoc (1912), Percy Williams (1908) and Chief Dan George (1899) lead its people of the past.

How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

The tiers. The highest designations are National Historic Sites, Classified Federal Heritage Buildings and Québec’s classements; then come the other federal designations; then provincial and local listings.
People and events. Parks Canada’s open file gives its national historic persons no place. A town’s page names one only when the person was born there (matched by name and both life years) or one of its own historic places carries the name and its record speaks of them; national historic events stay off.
The grade. This page gives no grade; history doesn’t count toward a Canadian town’s letter.
The federal register. Every federal designation is in Parks Canada’s directory, and the Canadian Register of Historic Places gives most of them a bilingual statement of significance.
Protection. National historic designation honours a place but binds only federal owners; a private building’s protection depends on its province or municipality.
Provincial and municipal lists. The local and provincial lists outside Québec aren’t published openly, so this page counts what Wikidata records and pages only the places an encyclopedia describes.
Map points. Federal places get their map points from Wikidata, since Parks Canada’s files carry none; they are as mapped there.

Questions about Vancouver’s history

Which places in Vancouver have the highest designation?

These: Vancouver's Chinatown, Gastown Historic District, Stanley Park, Marpole Midden, Former Vancouver Law Courts and Orpheum Theatre, and 4 more.

What is the oldest building in Vancouver?

Vancouver's Chinatown, a National Historic Site, begun in 1880.

Why might a heritage building in Vancouver be missing here?

Only federal designations are fully open outside Québec. 80 more listings in Vancouver are known through Wikidata alone, so they are counted, not paged.

How old are the homes in Vancouver?

The 2021 Census dates 20% of its homes before 1961 (18% in the typical town).

Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Parks Canada).

Sources: Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations · Canadian Register of Historic Places (federal extract) · Wikidata (CC0) for map points, other names and articles · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census (homes by period of construction). Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).