This map depicts a somewhat cartoonish image of Vancouver in 1930.
While the images convey happy citizens cracking jokes and making merry, this was a time of struggle for most.
Indeed, the effects of the 1929 crash on Wall Street Crash were felt the world over. British Columbia was no exception. Although the population was much lower back then, by the summer of 1931 over 42,000 people were jobless in the province.
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Long bread lines were common in the city, and women were encouraged to marry rather than find work.
Map Of Vancouver Details
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The only respite for the city’s colossal woe was that prohibition was no longer in effect. Enacted in 1917, BC abolished the regulation in 1921, ahead of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The map depicts the liquor stores which quickly sprang up after.
A man in a bathhouse, or rather an open-air bathtub, can be seen on the lower left-hand corner of the map (English Bay). The original English Bay Bathhouse in Vancouver was made of wood, but it was replaced in 1931 by one made of concrete.
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The bottom right corner of the map of Vancouver depicts a heavyset man reminiscent of the monopoly-man, complete with top-hat, overcoat and a busting briefcase stuffed with cash. He is coined the “politician going south for his health.”
Evidently, residents of Vancouver were already highly suspicious of politicians. During a time when so many people were nearly starving or doing road work that participants deemed “slave camps,” an overly extravagant politician most likely made people’s blood boil.
The Lion’s Gate Bridge, depicted with a roaring, Aslan-esque behemoth, was not completed until 1938. The company that bought the North Shore land was unable to sell the property until the bridgework was fully completed.
Have a look back into the history of White Rock through these nostalgic photos!
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