The history of Vancouver begins with its Indigenous inhabitants, who have occupied the region for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence indicates human settlement in the area dating back 8,000 to 10,000 years, following the retreat of glaciers after the Last Ice Age.
The traditional territories encompass the Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. The Musqueam have maintained a continuous presence at their main winter village near the mouth of the Fraser River for at least 4,000 years.
Squamish villages were situated in areas such as Stanley Park, Kitsilano, False Creek and Burrard Inlet, with major sites like Xwemelch’stn near the Capilano River. The Tsleil-Waututh were established along Burrard Inlet by the time of European contact in 1792.
These groups spoke dialects of Halkomelem (Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh) and Squamish languages, and their societies were supported by abundant natural resources, including salmon, which enabled complex cultural practices such as potlatches, wealth redistribution and large plank houses.
The ecosystem of the region, known as S’ólh Téméxw to First Nations, sustained these communities for over 10,000 years without significant depletion. Unlike many parts of Canada, Aboriginal title in the Vancouver area was never extinguished through treaties; instead, the land was proclaimed Crown land in 1859 without Indigenous negotiation.
European exploration of the region began in the late 18th century amid the maritime fur trade. The first European to sight the Strait of Georgia was Spanish Captain José María Narváez in 1791, aboard the Santa Saturnina. In 1792, British Captain George Vancouver, commanding HMS Discovery, met Spanish explorers Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores off Point Grey while charting the coast.
Vancouver’s expedition surveyed Burrard Inlet and Point Grey, informally naming parts of the area, though formal naming honors like Puget Sound (after officer Peter Puget) came later. Simon Fraser became the first European to reach the area overland in 1808, descending the Fraser River.
Despite these contacts, permanent European settlement was slow, partly due to Indigenous control and the focus on fur trading posts like Fort Langley, established by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1827 near the Fraser River’s mouth (relocated upstream in 1839). The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858-1859 attracted thousands of miners, primarily from California, but Vancouver’s urban development lagged behind New Westminster, founded in 1859 as the first urban center in the region.
Non-Indigenous settlement within modern Vancouver’s boundaries started modestly in the 1860s. The first farm was McCleery’s Farm around 1862 in the Southlands area. Lumbering emerged as a key industry, with the first sawmill at Moodyville (later North Vancouver) opening in 1863 under Sewell “Sue” Moody, exporting lumber to Australia by 1865.
On the south shore of Burrard Inlet, Stamp’s Mill began operations in 1867 at the site of a Squamish village. The settlement of Gastown formed around a saloon opened by John “Gassy Jack” Deighton in 1867, officially surveyed as Granville in 1870 (named after Lord Granville).
The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), commissioned under Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, selected Granville as its western terminus in 1884, spurring rapid growth. The city was incorporated as Vancouver on April 6, 1886, renamed in honor of Captain George Vancouver, with Malcolm A. MacLean as its first mayor. Just two months later, on June 13, 1886, the Great Vancouver Fire razed most of the wooden city in under an hour, killing up to 21 people. Reconstruction was swift, incorporating brick buildings, running water, and electric lights, transforming the city into a more modern urban center. The first transcontinental train arrived in Port Moody in July 1886, extending to Vancouver by May 1887.
Vancouver’s population exploded from about 1,000 in 1887 to 14,000 by 1891, 26,000 by 1901, and 120,000 by 1911, driven by immigration from the British Isles, Ontario and later Asia. The Klondike Gold Rush (1897–1898) brought prosperity, as Vancouver served as a supply hub. The CPR and entrepreneurs like David Oppenheimer (mayor 1888–1891) promoted development through land donations and incentives, leading to industries like the BC Sugar Refinery.
By the early 1900s, Vancouver overtook Victoria as British Columbia’s leading commercial center. The Port of Vancouver grew with the “All-Red Route” for faster shipping to Europe, though the Panama Canal’s opening in 1914 initially diverted traffic; adjustments in the 1920s made Vancouver viable for prairie grain exports. Infrastructure included the Granville Street Bridge (1889, rebuilt 1954), Cambie Street Bridge (1912, rebuilt 1985) and Burrard Street Bridge (1932). Racial tensions marred this era, including anti-Chinese riots in 1887, anti-Asian riots in 1907 targeting Chinatown and Japantown, and the 1914 Komagata Maru incident, where over 300 Indian passengers were denied entry and forced to leave after two months.
World War I (1914–1918) boosted the port and economy but intensified labor disputes, culminating in a 1918 general strike after the killing of union leader Ginger Goodwin. The 1920s saw annexations of Point Grey and South Vancouver in 1929, expanding the city, and the Ballantyne Pier’s completion in 1923 as a technologically advanced facility.
The Great Depression (1929–1939) devastated Vancouver, with high unemployment leading to “hobo jungles,” relief camp strikes in 1935, and the On-to-Ottawa Trek. Mayor Gerry McGeer read the Riot Act during a 1935 protest. World War II (1939–1945) revived the economy through shipbuilding, aircraft production, and military spending.
However, it also led to the internment of about 22,000 Japanese Canadians in 1942 under the War Measures Act, with their property confiscated; many were housed temporarily at Hastings Park. MP Ian Mackenzie advocated for the internment. Post-war, Vancouver became a head office hub for corporations like MacMillan Bloedel and a financial center for trade with Asia.
The population reached 562,000 by 1951 and 1,000,000 by 1971, fueled by eased immigration restrictions and diversification, with Chinese immigrants becoming prominent post-World War II. Infrastructure expanded with bridges like Oak Street (1957), Port Mann (1964) and Arthur Laing (1975). Educational institutions included the British Columbia Institute of Technology (1964) and Simon Fraser University (1965).
Cultural milestones featured the Vancouver Art Gallery’s relocation in 1983, the Museum of Anthropology’s opening in 1976, and the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in 1959. Television broadcasting began with CBUT in 1953. Urban renewal in the 1960s displaced communities, including Hogan’s Alley (an African Canadian neighborhood) in 1967 and parts of Chinatown, but protests like the Strathcona freeway opposition in the late 1960s halted destructive plans.
Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver in 1971, highlighting environmental activism. The port overtook others in tonnage by 1963, and industries shifted to digital media, ICT, life sciences, and film (“Hollywood North”).
Expo 86, a world’s fair on transportation and communication, attracted over 22 million visitors and left legacies like BC Place Stadium (1983), SkyTrain, Science World, Canada Place and the Plaza of Nations. Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, winning 14 gold medals for Canada, boosting infrastructure and global profile.
By 2021, the city’s population was 662,248, with a metro area of 2,642,825, and Chinese residents comprising 24.5% of the population, reflecting waves of immigration from Hong Kong (peaking pre-1997 handover) and mainland China. In 2014, city council acknowledged Vancouver’s location on unceded Indigenous lands, promoting greater Indigenous involvement.
Today, Vancouver is Canada’s primary Pacific trade hub, a tourism destination, and a center for outdoor culture, professional sports (e.g., Vancouver Canucks since 1970, BC Lions since 1954), and sustainability initiatives.
By Egon Denville
© Preems