Coming of age is one way to describe the District of Yaletown. The early days of Yaletown began with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway during the 1880s. Soon the lane had reached Yale, a small gold-rush town 150 or so miles to the east that served as the location of the company repair shops and housed a sizeable rail worker population. As the line was extended to Vancouver, these Yale residents followed it to the city. They settled in modest housing close to the yards that was soon dubbed Yaletown located to the railway’s western terminus of Vancouver.

As the years progressed, the proximity of False Creek and the railway meant that Yaletown became heavily industrial. Many factories, rail buildings, sawmills, and warehouses were built. By the turn of the century, business was booming throughout BC and Vancouver had become the wholesaling center for Western Canada. In 1900s the city had laid out streets and planned a new eight-block warehouse district near the old Yaletown. This then became the new Yaletown that is most commonly recognized today. It became a major point for processing, repackaging, and warehousing of goods.

Many changes occurred during the 1920s to 1950s, most significantly was the introduction of truck trailer transport. It revolutionized the means of transport and forced many industries to move closer to the highways. Subsequently, many homeowners sold their land to these factories and shops that schools like Central at Dunsmuir and Cambie had to close for reasons of having no more students in class.

During the bust cycle of the late ’60s and ’70s, the area was mostly unused and practically a parking lot. The land became shoddy and contaminated and was bought up by the city.

This all changed with the advent of young urban entrepreneurs realizing that Yaletown’s old warehouses were convenient, cheap, and attractive for business. In a matter of years, the old warehouses and buildings were transformed into offices, restaurants, and trendy nightspots. Now, the area north of Pacific Boulevard, between Nelson and Drake Streets, is home to a mix of art galleries, retail stores, and residential developments with loft-style apartments proliferating.

This dramatic redevelopment process continues till this day with the help of Honk-Kong-based developer Li Ka-Shing, who bought a large share of the site after the 1986 World’s Fair (Expo 86). This expo catapulted the site into becoming one of the more modern developing urban areas in the city of Vancouver. Today much of this can be seen through the marinas, parks, high-rise apartment blocks, and converted heritage buildings, which proves this to be one of the most successful and significant urban regeneration projects in North America.

The history and heritage of Yaletown is unique and marks it as one of the successful stories in the modern age of urbanization. From its railways days to the time of the truck-loading docks, some significant architectural features still survive to this day. They are an integral part of the heritage of old Yaletown and speak volumes of its past if you get a chance to view them.