For over 80 years the Orpheum theatre on Granville Street has been far more than an iconic neon sign. Hosting concerts, comedy showcases, the VSO, and even my high school commencement ceremony, this gorgeous venue is an magnificent slice of Vancouver history.
The Orpheum
1929 –
VPL Accession Number: 11035. Photographer: Leonard Frank.
“All around the theatre, on every floor, are ornamental grace notes – murals, paintings and other art work, decorated wall fabrics, tiling, fancy balustrades, gilded mirrors, ironwork, ornate chandeliers, sconces, corbels, tapestries, plush carpeting, varied and exotic architectural embellishments – a never-ending feast for the eye.” – VancouverHistory
The theatre was built for $1 million in 1927, hosting Vaudeville acts and the latest motion pictures from Hollywood.
“Architect B. Marcus Priteca is recognized as the most accomplished theatre designer of his era in the American Northwest and Western Canada. This is the only surviving Canadian theatre designed by Priteca.” – City of Vancouver
Photo credit:
Pomax on Flickr
Over the years names like Garbo, Gable, Bogart, Bacall, Hepburn, Monroe, Olivier, Lancaster, Bette Davis, Jack Benny, and Alec Guinness graced the stage.
“By 1969, the Orpheum’s days appeared numbered. Cinema was facing heavy competition from television, and Famous Players was looking for ways to increase the return on its valuable downtown real estate. The planned conversion meant turning the large theatre into a multiplex. Rhonna Fleming a Community Arts Council (CAC) volunteer discovered the plans for the Orpheum when she began documenting its history in 1972. This was the beginning of the ‘Save the Orpheum’ campaign.” – City of Vancouver
The Orpheum was indeed “saved” by donations topping $432,000 and funding from various levels of government. In 1977, after a restoration process it re-opened featuring the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
In 1994 it also became the starting point for the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame Starwalk that loops up and down Granville.
In 1995 it was upgraded and in 2009 it was refurbished once more as it was designated a National Historic Site. Coming up this year the Orpheum will host artists such as Sufjan Stevens, Great Big Sea, The Canadian Tenors and the 2010-2011 season of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Thanks to GayVancouver for recently hosting a night at the VSO which inspired this post.
Changing up the theme and pace of their usual annual fundraiser, the BC Hospitality Foundation presents Dish N’ Dazzle October 25th.
Dish N’ Dazzle will showcase 13 of BC’s top chefs and 6 high-caliber bartenders who will be participating in a cocktail contest throughout the evening.
Participating bartenders include Danielle Tatarin (Keefer Bar at The Keefer), Simon Ogden (Veneto Lounge at the Hotel Rialto), Shaun Layton (L’Abattoir), Lauren Mote (The Refinery), Shawn Soole (Clive’s Classic Lounge at Chateau Victoria), and Jacob Sweetapple (Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel).
Taking place in the Summit Room atop the Vancouver Convention Centre, Dish N’ Dazzle will have plenty of food, wine, live music, and a celebration honoring members of the hospitality industry.
The fundraising component will assist the BC Hospitality Foundation in taking care of their own — from servers to hosts, industry publicists, vintners and chefs — by way of providing financial assistance beyond traditional medical benefits.
Tickets are currently available along with package deals should you wish to stay overnight at the Pan Pacific Vancouver following the event that runs from 6:30pm – 9:30pm.
As Wendy Weir from Libre Tea once told me, the Sunshine Coast is the “lost corner of the 604”. I used to go to summer camp each year in Roberts Creek and it quite often I’d have people tell me, “have fun on the Island!” The Sunshine Coast is indeed a part of mainland British Columbia and it’s definitely a region worth checking out.
Just a quick ferry trip away, it offers recreation, entertainment, and some amazing natural scenery. The Sunshine Coast also hosts more festivals per capita than any other community in Canada with its main centres being Sechelt, Gibsons, and the Pender Harbour area.
To encourage you to take a trip along an arbutus-lined coastal highway this autumn, I thought that I would highlight some activities going on in the region.
Saturday October 9, 2010
The 10th Annual Gibsons Fall Fair runs Saturday from 10:00am – 5:00pm and Sunday, October 10th from 10:00am – 4:00pm. Festivities will take place at Quality Farm & Greenhouse at 325 Pratt Road. Activities include a craft fair, quilting contest, fibre arts display, and contests for baking, pumpkin carving, sunflowers and scarecrows. Door prize raffles will benefit local charities.
Saturday October 16, 2010
The last weekend of the Fiddlehead Farmers’ Market at Gibsons Landing.
The Sunshine Coast Mushroom Fest at Pender Harbour Community Hall takes place both Saturday and Sunday.
The Empty Bowls 2010 fundraiser takes place 11:30am – 2:30pm at the Roberts Creek Community Hall. Your $20 ticket ($10 kids ticket) is good for a handmade bowl from a local potter, lunch and dessert. Proceeds benefit the Sunshine Coast Food Bank.
Saturday October 23, 2010
The 11th Annual Fall Tune-Up cross country race takes place in Sechelt’s Porpoise Bay Provincial Park. Any proceeds from the event will support Sunshine Coast Athletics (for travel to championship events).
The Sunshine Coast Art Crawl is a free self-guided art tour happening on Saturday and Sunday. Follow the highway up and down the coast to spot studios that you can visit.
Sunday October 24, 2010
Pender Harbour Music in association with MusicFest Vancouver present Suzie Leblanc & Robert Kortgaard in concert at Pender Harbour Music School.
Should you have any additional events to list, please feel free to contact me. And remember, you only need ferry fare one-way as the return trip to Horseshoe Bay has no cost for cars or foot passengers.
A few months ago I put the call out on Twitter to see what people have been curious to know about Vancouver’s past. There were some great suggestions about Joe Fortes and the Great Fire along with several more tidbits that would be interesting to research. A few people asked about the Burrard Bridge and in particular, the enclosed space between the towers. To answer a few of these questions, here’s a brief history of the Burrard Bridge – from busts to bike lanes.
Burrard Bridge History
Opening Day, 1932. Archives item# CVA 99-2656. Photographer: Stuart Thomson.
The basics are that the bridge was constructed from 1930-1932 in order to join downtown Vancouver with Kitsilano by going over False Creek. It officially opened on Canada Day, July 1st 1932 with “A snip of a pair of golden scissors in the hands of Mayor Louis D. Taylor.” [source]
Architect George Lister Thornton Sharp and engineer John R. Grant used various styles of trusses to create enough of a span for boats to pass underneath and also for the flow of traffic along the deck. The enclosed spaces between its towers on either end are referred to as galleries with small windows that peer out onto the traffic below. From what I hear, those spaces were never used for anything else (no actual gallery or office space) and are just there to hide the steel structure of the bridge. Other unused or now-defunct features include a stairwell from the deck to the beach that was shutdown in recent years as well as a railway bridge underneath the car deck that was scrapped.
The lamps on either end of the bridge that flicker with a red glow at night are a tribute to Canadian WWI prisoners of war. [source] Vancouver’s coat of arms graces the front of the galleries while busts of Captain George Vancouver and Sir Harry Burrard-Neale adorn bows of ships that jut out from either tower, above pedestrian archways. I wrote a quick piece about the bridge a few years ago and discovered at that time that Sir Harry Burrard-Neale never even came within 5,000km of Vancouver at any time in his life. As he often did with waterways up and down our coast, Captain Vancouver simply named the inlet after an old navy buddy.
1932. Archives item# CVA 99-4214. Photographer: Stuart Thomson.
For many, this bridge offers the best views of a sunset of the annual fireworks in English Bay. The bridge was actually designed so that you can still enjoy the view even while you’re driving. According to the Burrard Bridge Heritage Study by Donald Luxton & Associates in 2001, the handrails along the bridge are meant to provide an unobstructed view of the bay when vehicles are driving between 40 and 64 kilometres an hour. This visual effect is referred to as “stroboscopic”.
In 2007 the Burrard Bridge was listed on Heritage Vancouver’s Top Ten Endangered Sites and in 2009 it began a bike lane trial. It continues to link the downtown core with Kitsilano, Vanier Park, and UBC whether you travel by car, bus, bike, or foot. For a great view of the bridge at any time of day, check out the legendary KatKam webcam.
Six-time Olympic medalist Clara Hughes will be in Stanley Park tomorrow morning (October 7th) for a bike ride with the Take a Hike Foundation. Hughes, who is also set to be honored on Canada’s Walk of Fame this year, is hosting this event to celebrate Take a Hike’s 10 year anniversary.
Take a Hike is an alternative education program that engages at-risk youth through a unique combination of adventure-based learning, academics, counseling, and community involvement.
I sat in on a press conference during the Vancouver 2010 Games after she won a medal as a part of the speedskating relay team where she announced that she was donating her medal bonus ($10,000CDN) to Take a Hike. She also gave the teacher who founded the program tickets to her 3000m race at the Olympics.
Thursday’s event will start off with a press conference at 10:30am over at Second Beach. Hughes will give a talk about her life journey and the Olympics, which is bound to be incredibly motivational. She and Take a Hike students will then set out on a biking tour of the park.
If you’re in the area, I encourage you to check out her speech – even during the press conference in February I was moved by her determination and inspirational words of wisdom.
