Granville, British Columbia

Granville was the name from 1870 to 1886 for what would become the townsite of Vancouver, British Columbia.[1] The townsite included the original settlement of Gastown.

Granville, British Columbia
Town
Motto: 
None
Granville, British Columbia is located in British Columbia
Granville, British Columbia
Granville, British Columbia
Location in British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°15′N 123°6′W / 49.250°N 123.100°W / 49.250; -123.100
Country Canada
Province British Columbia
Settled1800s
Incorporated as Vancouver1886
Time zoneUTC−8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)

History

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The area was first known as Gastown, a settlement around the original makeshift tavern established by "Gassy" Jack Deighton in 1867 just west of the Hastings Mill property.[2][3] In 1870 the colonial government surveyed the settlement,[4] laid out a townsite, and renamed it "Granville" in honour of the then-British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Granville. The township comprised six city blocks from Burrard Inlet south to Hastings Street, and Cambie Street east to Carrall Street.[5] This site, with its natural harbour, was selected in 1884[6] as the terminus for the railroad, renamed Vancouver, and incorporated as a city in 1886.

The name Granville survives in the city of Vancouver as Granville Street, Granville Mall, Granville Entertainment District, Granville Square, Granville Street Bridge, Granville Station of the Expo Line, Granville Island, and Vancouver Granville electoral district.

Nearby settlements

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References

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  1. ^ Kalman, Howard. Exploring Vancouver, The University of British Columbia, 1974, page 5
  2. ^ Cranny, Michael; Graham Jarvis; Garvin Moles; Bruce Seney (1999). Horizons: Canada Moves West. Scarborough, ON: Prentice Hall Ginn Canada. ISBN 978-0-13-012367-1.
  3. ^ "Welcome to Gastown". Gastown Business Improvement Society. 2010. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  4. ^ Vancouver, A Visual History, Bruce MacDonald, 1992, page 18
  5. ^ City of Vancouver Archives, Ref. Code AM54-S13-: MAP 978
  6. ^ "Vancouver Chronology [1757-1884]". Retrieved 2011-11-14.