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Vancouver BC – History in 10 Brief Points

Today, Vancouver is one of the most important cities and major economic centers in the world. The population of it's metropolitan area has reached 2,187,721 last year and all signs point towards further rapid growth. In this article, we'll take an extraordinarily brief and simplified look into how it all happened and what were some of the major milestones in its history.

The ancient times - For about four to ten thousands years, the area of todays Vancouver was the homeland of three major groups of native people - the Squamish, Tsliel-waututh and Musqueam. The Aboriginal settlement called Musqueam (from masqui "an edible grass that grows in the sea"), near the mouth of the Fraser River dates back to at least 3,000 years ago. At the time of first European contact, the natives had already larger villages in the areas around present-day Vancouver. First non-native steps - In May 1792, American sailor and trader Robert Gray became the first non-native to enter the "Great River of the West" (Columbia River). The city is named after the British naval captain George Vancouver, whose lieutenant William Broughton explored the upriver area. Settlement - A party of 40 men led by chief factor James McMillan reached what is now the Langley area December 16, 1824. They approached from the west, while sailing on the Fraser River (named after the first European to sail there, Simon Fraser in 1808). McMillan was fascinated by the location and chose a unique tree (known as Hudson's Bay Tree) to remind him of it. Two-and-a-half years later he came back with 25 men and instructions to build a fort, which is known as Fort Langley. It was July 27, 1827. The first non-military settlement in the city limits of todays Vancouver was the farm of the McCleery brothers. Colonel Moody - Perhaps the most important person in the early history of Greater Vancouver - he selected the routes for today's roads and the location of the first city. He quickly realized the strategical disadvantage of Fort Langley and built New Westminster, which became the capital of the colonial settlement. Gassy Jack - John Deighton, a former riverboat captain, arrived with his family and a barrel of whiskey, which later allowed him to bribe the nearby mill workers to build him a saloon in exchange of free drinking. Funnily enough, the construction was completed was in one single day, and it became a famous gathering spot for mill-workers and visiting sailors. "Gassy Jack", as nicknamed for his never ending enthusiasm and visions, has his own statue in this area today, called Gastown. Gold rush - In 1858, gold was discovered on the Fraser River. It triggered a massive invasion of more than 25,000 Americans with high hopes and forced the governor to declare the area a British Colony. Trading - Vancouver has been the center of fur trading and soon became one the most important cities in the Pacific Northwest from an economic standpoint. After the construction of the Panama Canal, Vancouver's seaport was able to compete with the major international ports for global trade because it qualified as an alternative route to Europe. Canadian wood would become famous around the world, and it brought quick prosperity to the Lower Mainland. Strikes and depressions - Despite the richness in natural resources, Vancouver had a volatile economy. Major recessions and depressions hit the city hard in the late 1890s, 1919, 1923, and 1929, which only fueled social tensions, a general black spot in the city's history. Racial tension - Unfortunately, Vancouver has a sad history in terms of hatred and racism, especially towards Asian minorities. One of the extreme "highlights" was an act which restricted Chinese immigration and imposed a $50 Head Tax on every person amongst other restrictions. This resulted in the highly inhuman fact that many Chinese workers were unable to bring their families over to join them. Population growth - The population of Vancouver increased rapidly - while it was slightly under 20,000 in 1891, it grew to over 300,000 just 40 years later. Today, more than two million people are living Greater Vancouver area. The yearly increase is around 40,000 and rising. With having a reputation of one of the most livable cities in the world, it's surely no coincidence...