GastownThe fascinating little historic enclave of Gastown, in the
central core area of Vancouver alongside Chinatown, transports
visitors back in time to envision the city in days of old, with its
cobbled streets, antique gaslights, Victorian architecture and maze
of narrow alleys, courtyards and passages wherein hide boutiques
and restaurants. Gastown was named after Vancouver's first settler
and saloon owner, Jack "Gassy" Deighton, whose historic hotel was
destroyed in the Great Fire of 1886 along with much of the city.
The fire swept through the town in less than an hour, leaving only
two of the 400 or so houses standing. "Gassy" Jack has been
immortalised with a statue in Maple Tree Square in Gastown. Another
point of interest is the Lamplighter Pub in the Dominion Hotel,
which was the first Vancouver inn to serve alcohol to women. The
Europe Hotel was the first fireproof building in western Canada,
having been built just after the fire in 1892. Gastown keeps time
with the world's fir
Website: www.gastown.org
Transportation: Gastown is easily accessible by Vancouver's Rapid
Transit System, SkyTrain, and city buses |
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