Gastown

John Deighton arrived on the shore of Burrard Inlet in 1867 with a barrel of whisky and a promise to the local mill workers that he would build a saloon in a day. They did, and the settlement that grew around it took its name from his talkative nickname, Gassy Jack. That origin explains why a statue of him stands today in Maple Tree Square, at the corner where Water and Carrall streets meet, in the oldest part of Vancouver. The district was formally laid out as the town of Granville, which was renamed Vancouver in 1886, and in June of that year a fire swept across the young city and destroyed almost everything. Brick and stone buildings went up in the aftermath, and many of the warehouses and hotels visible in Gastown date from the years that followed.

Those heritage buildings are the district's character. Cobblestone and brick paving runs along Water Street, and the old warehouses now hold boutiques, design studios, galleries, restaurants and cocktail bars. The neighbourhood was saved from redevelopment in the 1960s and early 1970s and was protected as a provincial heritage site, and it was later recognised as a National Historic Site of Canada.

The best-known sight is the Gastown Steam Clock on Water Street, built in 1977 by clockmaker Raymond Saunders. It is powered by steam from the city's underground heating system and whistles every quarter-hour, with Westminster chimes. Crowds gather on the sidewalk at the hour to watch the plumes of steam, and the clock appears in thousands of photographs.

Visiting Gastown is easy on foot, and the compact district stretches roughly between Cambie and Columbia Streets, and an hour or two covers the main blocks. Mornings during the week are quieter, while weekends and summer evenings bring crowds and a livelier atmosphere. Victory Square lies a few minutes away on foot, and Waterfront Station is at the district's edge, linking SeaBus and SkyTrain services.

The neighbourhood borders the Downtown Eastside, where many people face serious hardship, and visitors are advised to be aware of their surroundings and to treat residents with respect. Within Gastown itself, the streets are well used and busy. Come for the heritage architecture, the independent shops and the sense of history, and dress for Vancouver’s variable weather.