Timeline of Vancouver history facts for kids

Welcome to the exciting history of Vancouver! This timeline will take you on a journey through the major events that shaped this amazing city, from its early days of exploration to becoming a modern hub. Get ready to discover how Vancouver grew from a small settlement into the vibrant place it is today!

Early Explorers and Settlements (18th & 19th Centuries)

First Discoveries

• 1791 – José María Narváez was an early explorer who sailed into the Strait of Georgia.
• 1792 – Captain George Vancouver from England visited the area. He spent a day exploring the site that would later be named after him. His ship, HMS Discovery, sailed into Burrard Inlet.

Growing Settlements

• 1808 – Simon Fraser was the first European to travel overland to this area. He followed the river that now carries his name.
• 1827 – The Fort Langley was built by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) east of where Vancouver is now. This started more trade and contact, especially with the local Fraser River Salish people.
• 1846 – The Oregon Treaty set the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and British North America, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
• 1858 – The Colony of British Columbia was officially created.
• 1859 – New Westminster was chosen as the capital city for the Colony of British Columbia.

The Birth of Vancouver

• 1866 – The Colony of British Columbia and the Colony of Vancouver Island joined together. The new capital became Victoria.
• 1867
  • The Hastings Mill was founded. This was an important sawmill.
  • Gassy Jack opened the first saloon, a place where workers from the Hastings Mill could get drinks. The area around this popular saloon became known as Gastown.
• 1869 – Gastown was officially mapped out and named Granville Townsite.
• 1885 – The very last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was hammered in at Craigellachie, British Columbia. This connected Montreal all the way to Vancouver by train!
• 1886
  • The town of Granville became the City of Vancouver. The president of the Canadian Pacific Railway chose the name. Malcolm Alexander MacLean, a real estate dealer, was elected as the first mayor. The city had about 1,000 people.
  • The first transcontinental train from Montreal arrived in Port Moody.
  • The Great Vancouver Fire happened, a huge fire that destroyed much of the young city.
  • Vancouver General Hospital opened on Pender Street.
  • The Vancouver Police Department was formed.
  • The Vancouver Rowing Club was started.
• 1887
  • The Canadian Pacific Railway extended its line from Port Moody right into Vancouver.
  • The CPR’s Engine 374 brought the first transcontinental train directly into Vancouver.
• 1888
  • Stanley Park officially opened to the public. It's a huge and beautiful park!
• 1897 – The Klondike Gold Rush brought many people and a boost to the economy. By 1900, Vancouver became the most important business center on Canada's west coast, taking over from Victoria.
• 1898
  • The 9 O'Clock Gun was placed at Brockton Point. It still fires a signal every evening at 9:00 p.m.
  • The The Province newspaper was founded.

Vancouver in the 20th Century

Growth and Development

• 1903 – The Woodward's building was constructed.
• 1908 – The BC Legislature passed laws to create the University of British Columbia (UBC).
• 1910
  • The city's first skyscraper, the Dominion Building, was built at Hastings and Cambie.
  • The first Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) was held in Hastings Park.
• 1911
  • Vancouver joined with Hastings Townsite.
  • The Denman Arena, an indoor ice rink, opened. It was home to the Vancouver Millionaires hockey team.
• 1914 – The Komagata Maru incident occurred, a sad event involving a ship carrying immigrants from India.
• 1915 – The University of British Columbia (UBC) opened its first campus in the Fairview district.
• 1916 – Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park was changed by the building of the Stanley Park Causeway.
• 1920 – Vancouver started growing again and soon became the leading city in western Canada, surpassing Winnipeg.
• 1923 – Warren Harding visited Vancouver, becoming the first president of the United States to visit Canada.
• 1925
  • The first Second Narrows Bridge opened, connecting the city to North Vancouver.
  • The University of British Columbia (UBC) moved to its permanent home in Point Grey.
• 1926 – The beautiful Orpheum Theatre opened to the public.
• 1927 – Charles Lindbergh, a famous pilot, didn't include Vancouver in his tour because it didn't have a proper airport. Two years later, the city bought land on Sea Island for aviation, which is now Vancouver International Airport.
• 1929 – Vancouver joined with the areas of Point Grey and South Vancouver, making the city much larger.
• 1936 – The new Vancouver City Hall building was finished.
• 1938 – The Lions Gate Bridge opened, connecting downtown Vancouver to the North Shore.
• 1939 – The third Hotel Vancouver landmark building was completed.

Post-War Era and Modernization

• 1953 – Vancouver's first TV station, CBUT, started broadcasting.
• 1954
  • Empire Stadium was built for the British Empire Games.
  • Vancouver hosted the British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
• 1956 – The Vancouver Aquarium opened.
• 1959 – Oakridge Centre (a shopping mall), the Vancouver Maritime Museum, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and the Deas Island Tunnel all officially opened.
• 1960 – The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing opened.
• 1963 – The Port of Vancouver became the busiest port in Canada for the amount of goods it handled.
• 1964 – The BC Lions football team won the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup.
• 1970 – The Vancouver Canucks played their very first game in the National Hockey League at the Pacific Coliseum.
• 1971
  • The Gastown Riots occurred.
  • The 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) pedestrian seawall at Stanley Park officially opened. Gastown and Chinatown were named historic districts.
• 1972 – The Vancouver Marathon began.
• 1978
  • The Vancouver International Children's Festival started.
  • The city celebrated 200 years since British explorer Captain James Cook arrived in the region.
• 1979 – The Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL) soccer team won the North American Soccer League championship.
• 1983 – BC Place Stadium opened. This huge stadium is home to the BC Lions football team and hosts many big events.
• 1985 – SkyTrain opened, providing a new way to get around the city.
• 1986
  • The Alex Fraser Bridge opened.
  • Vancouver celebrated its 100th birthday by hosting Expo 86, a big world's fair on the north shore of False Creek.
  • Canada Place opened, a landmark building on the waterfront.
• 1994 – The Vancouver Canucks hockey team reached the Stanley Cup Finals. After they lost, some fans rioted in downtown Vancouver. The BC Lions football team won the Grey Cup.
• 1995
  • The West Coast Express commuter train opened.
  • A new Vancouver Public Library building was built, designed to look like the Roman Colosseum.
  • General Motors Place, a new arena for hockey, basketball, and concerts, opened.
  • The Vancouver Grizzlies basketball team played their first season.
• 1996 – The Vancouver International Airport expanded its terminal and added a third runway.

Vancouver in the 21st Century

• 2003
  • Vancouver was chosen to host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
• 2009 – The Canada Line opened, connecting downtown to YVR and Richmond by SkyTrain.
• 2010 – Vancouver hosted the exciting Winter Olympics!
• 2011 – The Vancouver Canucks hockey team reached the Stanley Cup Finals again. After they lost, some fans rioted in downtown Vancouver.
• 2014 – Vancouver hosted TED, a famous conference where people share ideas.
• 2019 – Vancouver hosted the NHL (National Hockey League) draft, where hockey teams pick new players.