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John Atkin is a civic historian and author who organizes and conduct tours for groups and individuals. John has explored Vancouver like few others have and offers an interesting and offbeat insight to the city's architecture, history and neighbourhoods. He has created, and conducts, a number of unique and popular walking tours throughout the City of Vancouver.
John brings an insight of urban planning and development, a love of architecture, and the fascination of the curious to all his tours.
John's walking tours take approximately 2 hours - depending on the group size and route - and are organized year round. Tours cost 10 dollars per person
Custom tours can also be organized for groups or individuals, contact John for information. Please note for groups smaller than five, there's a 100 dollar minimum charge.
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NEWS
London 2010 dates are set! September 16th to the 23th. I'm working on the itinerary now. For more details and a look at last years activities.
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Cemetery Walks
sponsored by Mountain View Cemetery
For more info and details on the tours check out vancouver.ca/cemetery
The Heritage Foundation's Old School program is a series of workshops and classes for homeowners. Check out their site.
How to Research Your House is the workshop I have the pleasure to conduct.
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UBC Continuing Studies Course: Our new course starts in October. We'll be exploring the history and development of the south shore of False Creek and the Fairview Slopes in a course called South False Creek: Industrial Wasteland to Liveable Community. Check the Continuing Education site for more information on upcoming courses.
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My occasional blog about things that float to the top of my desk
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i'm very excited to be the "historian in residence"
at the Roundhouse Community Centre. In the next 12 months we'll be
working on a number of projects at the Roundhouse including walks,
lectures and history exhibits.
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Did
you
know Blood Alley in Gastown is named for nothing? There were no butcher
shops in the alley, or fights and murder contributing to "rivers of
blood"; it was a name plucked out of the air by planners in the 1970s
during the alley's renovation. more...
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There are many dates and names stamped into the City's sidewalks. They
are interesting small bits of history but many of them get lost due to
wheel chair ramps, construction and neighbourhood improvement programs.
I'm compiling a list of locations of dates and stamps for inclusion on
the City of Vancouver's mapping program VanMap. If you find a date,
photograph it, note its location and send it to me. I'll make sure it
gets on the list.
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Our recent travels took us to Oman and Dubai. Here are some photos.
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BC history is fascinating stuff.
Check out the quarterly magazine BC History. Available at Book
Warehouse in Vancouver. For more information check the website.
www.bchistory.ca
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In April 1935 Ray Woods, a stunt man from St Louis, jumped from the
centre of the Burrard Bridge in front of an estimated crowd of 20,000
people.
This was Mr. Woods 161st bridge dive, afterwards he went back
to his room at the Hotel Devonshire.
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Vancouver was incorporated as a city in April 1886, in June it was
burned to the ground in a spectacular fire.
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A common error is to assume the new city boundary of 1886 was Heatley
Ave since it was once called Boundary Road, but it only meant it was
the boundary between two district lots. Nanaimo was the city limits
until 1911.
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Vancouver Mayor Fred Cope (the City's third mayor) drowned in a river
while looking for gold in the Klondike.
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The largest recorded earthquake to impact the west coast of
BC was in 1946 - a 7.3 magnitude earthquake.
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The boundaries of the City of Vancouver are not simple, check out their
complicated description
from the Vancouver Charter
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Ever wonder what the guide books to
our city tell visitors about this place?
