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John Atkin is an author, and civic historian 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. He can accomodate an individual or a group of thirty five.
Tours cost 10 dollars per person (for groups smaller than five, there's a 100 dollar minimum charge).
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London
Walking Tours September 2009
Here's
more information and the proposed itinerary to give you an idea of what we'll get up to.
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June 13th.
The Fire! Tour
In 1886 Vancouver was wiped out by a fire that started near Hornby and Drake and swept across the city. Join us as we trace the route of the fire and walk to Gastown.
Meet at the courtyard at the Roundhouse Community Centre (Davie St, opposite Urban fare) 10:00 am ($10.00 pp)
Our next course will be in the Fall of 2009 and will explore the CPR subdivisions.
Check the Continuing Education site for more information.
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NEW>
A blog of ephemera from my files.
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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 new book, SkyTrain Explorer, is out and
available from major book stores including Book Warehouse and Chapters.
It's a series of walks from each station along the original 1985
SkyTrain line from Vancouver to New Westminster. $16.95. Check Steller Press for
more info and ordering.
As well, Vancouver Walks is in it's second printing. It's available in book stores now.
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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?
