Gastown
From Free net encyclopedia
Current revision
Image:Vancouver Gastown Gassy Jack.jpg Gastown is an area of Vancouver, British Columbia, located between Downtown and the Downtown Eastside.
History
Gastown is Vancouver's first downtown core and is named after "Gassy" Jack Deighton, a British settler who arrived in 1867 to open the area's first saloon. The town soon prospered as the site of a sawmill, seaport, and quickly became a general centre of trade and commerce.
In 1886, the town was incorporated as the City of Vancouver. It fell victim to the "Great Vancouver Fire" that same year, losing all but two of its buildings. The area was completely rebuilt and continued to thrive until the Great Depression in the 1920s, after which Gastown, now just a neighbourhood of the larger city, fell into decline and disrepair until the 1960s. Citizens concerned with preserving Gastown's distinctive and historic architecture convinced the provincial government to declare the area a historical site in 1971, protecting its heritage buildings to this day.
Also in 1971, the Gastown Riots broke out, when a student-organized marijuana 'smoke in' became violent when the RCMP intervened.
Today
Image:Gastown.jpg Gastown is a mix of tourist-oriented business (generally restricted to Water Street), restaurants, nightclubs, and general poverty. In addition, there are computer and internet businesses, art galleries, music and art studios, acting and film schools. The Warehouse Studio, owned by Bryan Adams, is located in the renovated brick building that once housed Vancouver's City Hall on Powell Street.
Gastown's most famous landmark is its steam-powered clock, located on the corner of Cambie and Water Street. Long powered by electricity after its previous breakdown the steam mechanism has been completely restored with the financial support of local businesses. The steam used is low pressure district heating steam that powers a miniature steam engine in its base, in turn driving a chain lift. The chain lift moves steel balls upward, where they are unloaded and roll to a descending chain. The weight of the balls on the descending chain drives a conventional pendulum clock escapement, geared to the hands on the four faces. The steam also powers the clock's sound production as whistles are used instead of bells to produce the Westminster "chime" and to signal the time. Image:GastownSteamClock.jpg Gastown retains some of the vestiges of its 1970s role as "Haight-Ashbury North".Template:Citeneeded Coffee houses, head shops, thrift stores, and cafes such as The Amsterdam and the Cannabis Cafe can be found here, along with the upscale boutiques and trendy restaurants.
Popular annual events that take place on the cobblestone streets of Gastown include the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and the Tour de Gastown international bicycle race.