Vancouver in the snow: A look back at the city's wintery past

Downtown Vancouver in 1936. (AM1376-: CVA 1376-407/Vancouver Archives)

Vancouver may not be famous for its snow, but on the rare occasion the city is blanketed in white, it is a sight to behold. The West Coast city becomes a winter wonderland and it is truly breathtaking.

While it may be pretty, it is tricky to get around by car. But, chances are it is at least a bit faster to get around than it was more than 100 years ago.

We dug through the archives to look back at some of Vancouver’s oldest snow days, captured on film from the 1890s, 1900s, and more for a bit of historical perspective.

Do you recognize this road?

Northwest view of Westminster Road, now known as Kingsway, between 7th and 10th avenues. (AM54-S4-: Dist P141/Vancouver Archives)

While it is unbelievable to wrap your head around now, the above photo shows what Kingsway used to look like in the 1890s. In the photo, the busy roadway was covered in snow and occupied by just a solitary figure as they travelled between 7th Avenue, crossing Main Street, toward 10th Avenue. The Mount Pleasant area is now full of buildings, bus stops, restaurants, and mega-construction projects.

Timeless photos of an iconic park

Stanley Park in 1901 (Richard Henry Trueman/Vancouver Archives)

Thank you to the late Richard H. Trueman for braving the cold and snow for these incredible photos. The noted landscape photographer was able to grab some historic snaps of Stanley Park showing the 400-acre park coated in snow and ice in 1901. He wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last. The park remains worth the trek even on a chilly afternoon for modern-day photographers.

Second Beach in Stanley Park in 1900. (AM54-S4-: Be P104/Vancouver Archives)

Some pieces of the past remain today

According to the records, the little boy in the photo below is named Kenelm Quiney and he’s hanging out beside a flagpole in Kitsilano in the snow in 1910.

He seemed to be having a lovely time.

3400 block 2nd Avenue West from Waterloo Street in 1910. (AM1584-: CVA 7-61/Vancouver Archives)

Some other photos of the city taken around the 1910s/1920s show some familiar spots turned into a winter wonderland. Not bad for a city with a reputation for its rain!

Stanley Park in 1917. (Stuart Thomson/Vancouver Archives)

Frozen fountain in Stanley Park in 1920. (AM1535-: CVA 99-1011/Vancouver Archives)

Snowball fights of old

Kitsilano’s 4th Avenue near Waterloo Street in 1910 or 1911. (James Luke Quiney/Vancouver Archives)

This is 4th Avenue in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood covered in snow, taken in the early 1900s.

It’s unclear what the cross street is where this pair is playing, but it’s obvious that this area has changed a lot in the more than 90 years since this picture was taken.

Plus, this stretch remains one of those more notorious headache spots for buses to get stuck in the city, so it’s not necessarily associated with winter fun when the flakes fall.

The beachside community captured on film

Vancouver’s 5th Avenue in 1930. (McKinley family/Vancouver Archives)

We aren’t sure why there are so many lovely photos of Kits from the ’30s in the archives versus some other neighbourhoods, but the streets sure look picturesque, don’t they?

A snowy piece of Vancouver’s history

Vancouver City Hall construction site on February 29, 1936.(Townley, Matheson and Partners/Vancouver Archives)

And we couldn’t resist showing you a before picture of City Hall in the mid-1930s.

A snowy workday for folks in 1936 as they worked to build at Cambie Street and 12th Avenue during the Great Depression.

Incredibly, this photo was taken in February, and according to the records, City Hall would be completed and opened just 10 months later for the cool price of $1 million.

A lot of the original pieces remain, and you could see them in person but the tours are currently on hold. Check the website for updates.

Sidewalk clearing then vs. now

555 Howe Street after a snowstorm in 1936. (AM1376-: CVA 1376-407/Vancouver Archives)

Our final picture shows a view of Downtown Vancouver’s Howe Street, also taken in 1936.

According to the Vancouver Archives, this photo was taken after a snowstorm and appears that the sidewalks were not cleared immediately after, something that remains a hot-button issue more than 86 years later.

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A view of Vancouver’s Stanley Park from Grouse Mountain from 1930 vs. now. (Vancouver Archives | Pierre Leclerc/Shutterstock)

Do you recognize any of these spots? Let us know in the comments.