Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
GRANVILLE ISLAND'S INDUSTRIAL EDGE
Many visitors spend their time on Granville Island at the Public Market end, nip-
ping between the plentiful studios and shops. But heading a few minutes along
Johnston St offers some reminders of the time when this human-made peninsula
(since it's joined to the mainland, it's not actually an island) was home to dozens
of hard-grating factories making everything from chains to iron hinges.
One million cubic yards of landfill was tipped into False Creek to create the is-
land in the early 20th century, but almost all the reminders of its gritty first few
years have been lost. Almost. The area's oldest tenant,
Ocean Construction
Supplies
, is a cement maker that began here in 1917 and now cranks out enough
product to build a 10-story tower block every week. Check out the ball-bearing-
driven public artwork at the front of the facility and consider dropping by for its
popular, family-friendly
open day
staged every spring.
Continue along Johnston a little further and you'll come to a second monument
to the past: a landmark
yellow dock crane
that's been preserved from the old
days. Nip across to the waterfront here for a final 'hidden' Granville Island view: a
string of large and comfy-looking
houseboats
that many Vancouverites wish
they lived in.
BC SPORTS HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM
MUSEUM
( 604-687-5520;
www.bcsportshalloffame.com
; Gate A, BC Place Stadium, 777 Pacific Blvd;
adult/child $15/12; 10am-5pm; ; Stadium-Chinatown)
Inside BC Place Stadium,
this small but perfectly formed attraction showcases top BC athletes, both amateur and
professional, with galleries devoted to each decade in sports. There are medals, trophies
and sporting memorabilia on display (judging by the size of their shirts, hockey players
were much smaller in the old days), and there are tons of hands-on activities to tire the
kids out.
You'll find plenty of info on the city's 2010 Winter Olympic Games in a dedicated
gallery, plus stirring exhibits on Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope run across
Canada. Head outside the stadium for a cool
public artwork
by Douglas Coupland that
also celebrates the nation's favorite hero.
ENGINE 374 PAVILION
MUSEUM
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
