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Vancouver Centennial Commission fonds With digital objects
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Vancouver on the move

Item is a videocassette containing a documentary about the city of Vancouver.

The main focus of the documentary as a whole is the social and cultural life in the city and the relationship between the people and their surroundings in 1986, the centenary year. The visual elements are a combination of historical photographs, hand drawn illustrations, historical moving image footage, and moving image footage shot by the filmmakers between 1985 and 1986. Music with a narrator speaking in the foreground accompanies the visuals.

The early history of Vancouver is told through stories about George Vancouver naming point Grey and Burrard channel and meeting First Nations people, John Deighton (“Gassy Jack”) opening his saloon, the first city council meeting, and the arrival of the first CPR train from Montreal and ship from Yokohama.

The discussion of modern life in Vancouver that makes up the bulk of the documentary is roughly divided into sections. The first section discusses modern commerce, including shipping, transportation, forestry, fishing, and tourism. The second section discusses cultural life, including the natural beauty of Stanley Park, street scenes in Chinatown, the expo grounds and the SkyTrain, street musicians, children playing at a water park, and a football game at BC Place.

The third section focuses on the immigrant experience and how a diversity of cultures enriches life in the city. This point is illustrated with scenes of new Canadians at a citizenship ceremony, Tai Chi in Queen Elizabeth Park and Chinese dragons in Chinatown, the Nitobe Memorial Garden and the Powell Street Festival, a Sikh wedding and street scenes of Main Street in South Vancouver. It also explores the dark side of the immigrant experience, discussing the 1907 anti-Asian riots, the forced removal and internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II, and the Komagata Maru incident. The section also addresses Indigenous resistance and cultural resilience.

The fourth section deals with Vancouverites' love of being outside, with footage of outdoor aerobics and other fitness activities, relaxing on the beach and ‘being seen’, outdoor cocktail parties and dining, a family picnic in the park, outdoor theatre, and sailing.

Okexnon Films Inc.

Vancouver : city of century

Item is a videocassette containing a documentary about the city of Vancouver and Vancouver life, developed for the centennial celebrations. It includes a short introduction to the history of the city up to the 1920s using historical photographs, some film footage of First Nations peoples, and voiceover narrative.

The next section focuses on transportation, featuring scenes of airplanes, the BC ferry, the Seabus, the SkyTrain, ships in the harbour, steamboats, and cruise ships. The focus shifts towards nature and leisure activities as Stanley Park is explored with a historical photograph montage followed by film footage of park and aquarium scenes, including polar bears, penguins, river otters and killer whales. Grouse Mountain is illustrated through shots of the gondola, ski lift, and scenes of skiing. Other sport scenes include sailing ships, ocean and river kayaking, car races, bicycle races, horse races, hockey, football, boxing, golf, soccer and tennis. Life on the water is emphasised with a section on the bathtub race and associated celebrations, beach scenes, and a paddle boat tour around various Vancouver landmarks.

The next section contains a presentation of the centennial theme song ‘The Vancouver Song’ or ‘Vancouver (you'll always look like home to me)’ over a montage of scenes of the Expo Centre, the harbour, downtown, and Stanley Park.

The documentary concludes with scenes of the city at night, including Granville Island, Robson Square, neon signs downtown and at Chinese restaurants, the Expo Centre illuminated with Expo 86 lighting and shots of the sunset over the bay.

R.R. Productions

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