Street of Lights: Granville Street Walking Tour with Aaron Chapman #1

This event is being hosted on the unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.

ABOUT THE WALKING TOUR

Welcome to Granville Street! It’s eclectic and electric.

On Saturday, June 17 at 1:00 pm, join local writer, historian and musician Aaron Chapman for a one-of-a-kind walking tour of the Granville Street Entertainment District. Discover Granville Street’s storied history and lively nightlife in this entertaining, illustrated walking tour on the theatres, clubs and venues of Downtown Vancouver’s past.

• Timing: Meet at 12:45 pm with the tour starting at 1:00 pm. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours.
• Location: Meet at the outdoor plaza space at Vancouver City Centre Canada Line Station (on the southwest corner of W. Georgia St and Granville St). The tour will cover the blocks of Granville Street between W. Georgia St and Davie St.
• Free entry: Attendance is free, but the event has limited capacity.
• Getting here: Participants are encouraged to arrive by transit, foot or bike, as parking in this area is limited.
• Social Media: Follow this topic online using the hashtag #GranvillePlan

The history of Granville street downtown is the story of entertainment and nightlife itself in Vancouver, and where Vancouverites have come for a night out for over 120 years. Historian/Author Aaron Chapman (Vancouver after Dark, Live at the Commodore) hosts a tour that will spotlight the remarkable history Granville's venues, theatres, and nightclubs tracing how Granville Street was instrumental in how the city itself grew and developed, how the street has changed and adapted over the years, and stories from the Marx Brothers to The Clash who performed there.

As part of the City of Vancouver’s Granville Street Planning engagement process, you’ll also be invited to share places, histories and experiences – past and present – related to Granville Street that are important to you or your community. This will let the City of Vancouver know what is important to preserve and enhance in the area.

This walking tour is available for members of the public – anyone who wants to join. Registration is free but space is limited.

About Aaron Chapman

Aaron Chapman is a writer, historian, and musician with a special interest in Vancouver's entertainment history. He is the author of Vancouver after Dark: The Wild History of a City's Nightlife, winner of the Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award (BC Book Prizes) in 2020; The Last Gang in Town, the story of Vancouver's Clark Park Gang; Liquor, Lust, and the Law, the story of Vancouver's Penthouse Nightclub, now available in a second edition; Vancouver Vice: Crime and Spectacle in the City's West End; and Live at the Commodore, a history of the Commodore Ballroom that won the Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award (BC Book Prizes) in 2015 (a new edition appears in 2023).

In 2020, Aaron Chapman was elected as a member of the Royal Historical Society. He is a frequent contributor on the CBC, Global Television, CKNW AM, and in print about Vancouver’s history.

About the City of Vancouver’s Granville Street Planning Process

Launching June 1, 2023, the City of Vancouver’sGranville Street Planning process will develop a new vision for the area that balances the different needs and aspirations of those who work, live, perform on, visit, and enjoy Granville Street.

The new plan will:

• advance Reconciliation, equity and accessibility
• support arts, culture and heritage in Vancouver
• prioritize programs that support gender-based and overall safety
• expand and enhance public space to support a range of activities
• protect and strengthen job space
• expand tourism
• improve connections to active transportation and transit

Your feedback will help us develop a vision and objectives for the future of Granville Street. For more information, and to get involved, please visit our website: www.shapeyourcity.ca/granville-street-planning

GENERAL INFORMATION

Community Guidelines

• Speak to be understood
• Listen to understand
• Hear from one voice at a time
• Share opportunities for speaking time evenly
• Respect others' opinions and experiences

Our community guidelines are intended to ensure the safety of all guest speakers and event participants, and to foster honest, socially accountable dialogue at our events. Thank you for respecting our community guidelines! At the workshop we'll ask you if there are other community guidelines you'd like to add.

Speakers will attempt to respond to as many questions as possible, and participants will share the space equitably by participating and leaving room for others to participate. Moderators/technical team may remove, at their discretion, anyone who incites harm towards other participants, be it through the chat, video, audio functions or in the meeting rooms.

Discriminatory comments based on race, age, sexuality, gender or disability (including threats, bullying or shaming) are not permitted. Intentionally spreading misinformation, or videotaping/recording as a tactic of intimidation are grounds for removal. Participants take collective responsibility for community care, and individual responsibility for self-care: participants will exercise the right to leave the session if it is not serving them.

The City of Vancouver has adopted an Access to City Services Without Fear policy. Proof of immigration status or citizenship is not required to access City public services, including public engagements and public hearings.

If you require any assistance related to disability, communications, or accessibility please contact the Granville Street Planning Team at [email protected].

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Personal information collected, whether via Eventbrite, email or telephone, will be used by the City of Vancouver only for the purpose of managing attendance. Such personal information is collected by the City of Vancouver under the authority of s. 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Questions may be directed to the Director, Access to Information at 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Y 1V4 or via telephone at 3-1-1.

Host or Publisher City of Vancouver - Local Government