The Yale Hotel is a well known site on Vancouver’s Granville Street. A reminder of the days when neon ruled the downtown commercial districts.
Yale Hotel Neon, Vancouver, British Columbia 2016
All posts tagged: Documentary
Berkeley Place Elevator Shaft, Davie Street, Vancouver, British Columbia 2018
Walking to breakfast early on weekend morning we passed the site of what had been, until just days before, an apartment complex in Vancouver’s West End. The elevator shaft, with the somewhat incongruous potted palm tree, at the bottom were the only two things left standing that day. A week later the shaft was gone as well.
Castle Inn, Cache Creek, British Columbia 2017
A long time eye catcher as the highway splits at Cache Creek, this old motel appeared to be undergoing renovations when photographed last year. Eight months or so later on a more recent road trip and there appears to have been little accomplished on the renovation front. Hopefully the Castle Inn will eventually be restored to it’s former 50’s road side architectural glory.
Corner Store in Snowstorm, Davie and Thurlow, Vancouver, British Columbia 2018
This was one of those heavy west coast snowstorms that came in, dumped a load, and then it all melted away by the next day. I walked out of the Skytrain Station on Davie Street and there were just light flakes falling, but by the time I reached Thurlow there was snow covering the ground, the falling snow was much heavier and just a few …
Plane for Sale, Clinton, British Columbia 2017.
An unusual looking small airplane for sale on the roadside in Clinton, British Columbia. One wonders how often people see an aircraft along the road and decide to stop and buy it.
Canadian Pacific, Waterfront, Vancouver, British Columbia 2018
Work crew makes their way towards a CP Rail engine and cars in the train yard on the Vancouver waterfront following a snow storm.
Selfie Bus Shelter Poster, Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia 2018
Late night Vancouver street photography while walking along Granville Street. Photographing an ad for a camera phone and camera phone photography.
Hair salon and Murphy beds, Langford, British Columbia 2017
Architecture, of course, like everything works in cycles of fashion. The A-frame entrance to suburban housing, at least in British Columbia, was common enough in the 60’s and 70’s. It’s perhaps rarer to see this vernacular architecture at use in commercial buildings from that era, certainly with the use of the double A-frame on the structure, which you can’t see in this image(the A is …
Drive Through View, 8th and Cambie, Vancouver British Columbia 2017
A view of a fast food drive through from West 8th Avenue at Cambie Street, at buildings facing a back alley and at centre with Canadian flag, Vancouver’s City Hall shows over the roof line of the 9th Avenue shops.
Taber Music School, Saanich British Columbia 2017
This low building has seen several different commercial lives but currently houses a music school, readily apparent not only from the sign but but by the musical note decor painted on the outside. It looks though it may have been a garage at one point.
Wood Carvings, Chemainus, British Columbia 2017
It was just starting to rain as I came past these wooden carvings along the highway in Chemainus. The large, almost life size Sasquatch (assuming we know what life size is for a Sasquatch) was certainly an attention grabber. Birds, whimsical bears, and more stood along the roadside distracting passing motorists as the carver worked in the tent behind and chatted with those who …
Ladysmith Car Care, Ladysmith, British Columbia 2017
The red and white paint job on this former garage and corner store always catches the eye when passing by Ladysmith on the highway. It has been shut down for a while now although there are a few vehicles inside so not sure if someone still uses the premises. It looks a little more decrepit all the time though so I really expect to go …
Barclay back alley, Vancouver, British Columbia 2016
A Canadian flag hangs in the window of an apartment as seen from a back alley in Vancouver’s West End.
MK 5 Sabre Jet, Sidney British Columbia 2016
Always a head turner, catching sight of this old fighter jet for the first time can be a bit disconcerting when seen at the edge of your vision while passing down a local street.
Car Dealer, Clark Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia 2016
Waiting at dusk along Clark Drive for the bus to come along. Industrial areas have their own beauty.
Former Toyota Dealership, Victoria, British Columbia 2015
This style of building, an architectural homage to to the Japanese heritage of the car dealership’s home country, was not unique for this Victoria Toyota car lot. I’m not sure if at one point all Toyota dealerships looked like this but I remember another in Kamloops. It was remodelled years ago and is now a fast food restaurant box, all Asian influences removed. The Victoria …
The Odeon, Brickyard and Efes, Yates Street, Victoria, British Columbia 2016
Unique local restaurants and movie theatre along Yates Street in downtown Victoria.
Boat Graveyard, Vancouver Island, British Columbia 2016
This was truly a west coast nautical scene, acreage filled with broken and decaying boats, mainly smaller pleasure or fishing craft. There were no indicators why the mossy rotting boats were there, the only sign visible from the side road I was on said No Trespassing, not really an encouragement to explore more. On my way out I spotted a house, which may be connected …
Rain storm approaching, Harbour Road, Victoria, British Columbia 2016
This is the kind of weather we’ve seen a lot of this year. The street, Harbour Road, is one of the more interesting roads in Victoria simply because the side shown is new residential with some commercial/retail thrown in. The other side of the road is on the harbour and is still marine industrial giving the area a nice feel, holding on to an …
Vernon Drive Grocery, Vancouver, British Columbia 2016
This small corner store is such a great example of the old school of the neighbourhood grocery in Vancouver. It’s served many generations of neighbours as well children attending Admiral Seymour Elementary School across the street. The Pepsi signs are quite unique too I think, a change from the usual Coke version. The high price of Vancouver real estate has been in the news a …
Property waiting for redevelopment, 1100 block West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia 2016
This property, looking pretty rundown at this point, has spectacular views of the Vancouver skyline. It has a unique mainly glass gazebo on the roof (at right). I’m guessing that the little house/entrance leads to either stairs or an elevator although elevators seems to be something only new small residences have. Redevelopment means that the space will hold more residences and they can all enjoy …
New Vancouver Art Gallery site, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia 2016
As an exercise I sometimes try and photograph with an eye to preserving a view that will not exist in the future. The above is one such view. Shot from Cambie Street and looking across Georgia Street to the north. The parking lot seen at the lower right of the image is the future site of the Vancouver Art Gallery. That new building will most …
Olympia Pizza & Pasta, Vancouver, British Columbia 2016
I’ve been eating at Olympia Pizza for over 30 years. Sure, there was a 15-20 year gap in visits when I lived in Alberta but now that my son lives in the west end, my old neighbourhood, the family has resumed enjoying their house lasagna during visits. It’s wonderful when you can revisit an old favourite. The exterior could use some updating or at least …
Army & Navy Store, East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia 2016
The exterior of Army & Navy store, a long time fixture along East Hasting Street in Vancouver, is looking pretty shabby these days. When I was a kid, and the area was still a commercial hub, my parents would bring us in to the city from our home in the Fraser Valley and the Army & Navy was always a stop for new school clothes, …
Back alley in the snow, Kamloops, British Columbia 2015
A view of pedestrians making their way down a snowy back alley in north Kamloops, British Columbia. Downtown is visible in the background. A recent post by Austin, Texas photographer Kirk Tuck about the photographer as a visual anthropologist resonated with me. Here’s an excerpt below, with the link to the full article here. ‘Photographers rarely look to their own cultural or social peers as …
Shipwreck of the Pacific Sun King, Saanich, BC 2015
The wreckage of the ship Pacific Sun King lies on the beach in Gyro Park at Cadboro Bay. The 55 foot, 44-tonne live aboard ship washed ashore during a heavy windstorm on December 5. The wreckage has gotten more and more worn out as the owner saved what he could from the ship and subsequent storms have worn away the ship. A more complete story …
UVIC Field Hockey Practice, Saanich, BC 2013
University of Victoria field hockey players take part in an evening practice in front of the then under construction new recreational complex. The complex opened this year and features a climbing wall in the tower.
Dowler Grocery, Victoria, BC 2012
Dowler Grocery is yet another of those unique neighbourhood corner stores that has closed. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence that a 7-11 opened up across the street. I’m not sure when Dowler Grocery actually closed, I don’t actually remember it being open. The unusual thing is that even though this photo was taken in 2012 the storefront still looks the same. It hasn’t …
Grave Site of Albert “Ginger” Goodwin, Cumberland, British Columbia 2011
Even today, coal miner, union activist and conscientious objector during World War I, Albert ‘Ginger’ Goodwin remains a controversial figure in British Columbia history. The native of Yorkshire, England came to Canada to work in the coal mines and later became involved in union activities in response to terrible working conditions. He ended up becoming the vice-president of the British Columbia Federation of Labour as …
Architecture and Landscape Changes Vancouver Island 2015
Two photographs taken a week apart. In the first a heritage house, sporting some unique architectural detail, sits on supports and a trailer, in the second, the vacant lot after the house was removed and view of the previously hidden seascape. The third, yet to be taken, will show the new structure built on the lot. Change is inevitable and at least in this …