Gastown and Downtown Vancouver Skyline

Gastown’s history is as colorful as its cobblestone streets, rising from the ashes—quite literally—before being forgotten and reborn once again. It all began with Captain John Deighton, better known as Gassy Jack, who supposedly paddled to Burrard Inlet with just six dollars, his wife, her cousin, and mother-in-law in tow. With a barrel of whisky in hand, he struck a deal with the local mill workers: build him a saloon, and the drinks would flow. This humble, booze-fueled start laid the foundation for what would become one of Vancouver’s most iconic neighborhoods.

Gastown’s rollercoaster ride continued when the Great Fire of 1886 razed nearly all of Vancouver, sparing just two of the city’s 400 buildings. Rising from the ashes, the area became the heart of Vancouver’s wholesale produce distribution—until the Great Depression took its toll. In its heyday, the 12-block area was home to 300 licensed establishments, making it the center of the city’s drinking life.

By the 1960s, however, Gastown was on the chopping block again, slated for demolition to make way for a freeway. Thankfully, a grassroots campaign of businesspeople, property owners, counterculture advocates, and political activists stepped in to save the neighborhood. Among them was Henk F. Vanderhorst, a Dutch immigrant who opened the Exposition Gallery on Water Street, kick-starting a wave of new businesses that breathed life back into the area.

Today, Gastown is a National Historic Site, designated in 2009, and remains a visual time capsule of the city’s Victorian Italianate, Edwardian Commercial, and Romanesque architecture. It continues to be a neighborhood that has not only survived but thrived, proving that Gastown’s spirited resilience is more than just legend.