Dawn to Dark ~ Granville Island ~ Vancouver, BC

Vancouver, originally called Gastown in 1867, then renamed Granville until the city became incorporated with the name of Vancouver in 1886.  That is also where the name for Granville Street and Granville Bridge came from.   The population of the Greater Vancouver area sure has grown over those years and now is home to over 2.4 million people.

First morning light over Grnville Bridge in Vancouver, BC

My sister was spending an extended time in Vancouver last Fall and rented an apartment overlooking False Creek between the Burrard Bridge (left) and the Granville Street Bridge (right).  It was a great opportunity to visit in the beautiful city of Vancouver and to enjoy the view which was an ever changing display of light and sounds.  So began my attempt at photographing the beauty from dawn to dark.

Morning overlooking Granville Island

False Creek is used for kayaks, dragon boats, canoes and other non-motorized boats and boards.  This visit didn’t seem to be the right time for those activities but it can get very busy with motorized and non-motorized traffic, too.  There are Aquabus and ferries that offer rides between Granville Island and the other side which can make for a nice scenic tour of False Creek.

October midday at False Creek, Vancouver, BC

The marina was fairly quiet with few boats coming and going on these sunny fall days but there was a series being shot on the pier so there were lots of people milling about.  It gave some interesting views; you’ll see a red carpet with balloons decorating an entrance by the large yacht in the center of this photo.

Late afternoon sun overlooking Granville Street Bridge

There is more than one marina in our view, one being on Granville Island with a channel of calm water between them.  There are pleasure boats and yachts, working boats, fishing boats, rescue boats and more that can be seen from our vantage point so there appears to be little traffic but there is always something to watch.

Early evening on False Creek, Vancouver, BC 

The Burrard Bridge, often called the Burrard Street Bridge, was built 1930-1932 for 3 million dollars.  The high central span allowed for ships to pass under as well as all those beautiful boats of today.  The concrete towers are connected by overhead galleries that disguise the steel trusses and are embellished with sculptured details of architecture.

Dusk on Granville Island, Vancouver, BC

The Burrard Bridge is assessed as being in the top category of historic buildings in Vancouver so hopefully no changes will be made to the structure of the bridge to change that.  This great piece of Vancouver history has busts of Captain George Vancouver and Sir Harry Burrard-Neale sculpted on it.

Twilight on Granville Island, Vancouver, BC

Granville Island is a peninsula that was once home to sawmills, industrial manufacturing and a shantytown but was redeveloped by the provincial government in the 1970’s.  The ’86 Expo was at False Creek and the growth in this area is ongoing.

Evening arrives on False Creek, Vancouver, BC

The Granville Island Market is a great place to visit with the fresh food markets, art galleries, restaurants, and so much more.  Baskers and entertainers can often be seen entertaining the crowds who frequent the market.

Nightime is here on Granville Island, Vancouver, BC

The Granville Street Bridge is the third one constructed at this site.  The 8 lane bridge was completed in 1954 at a cost of $16.5 million and there were a million cars that crossed this bridge in the first month it was open.  The Cambie Street Bridge, not in view from here is the third bridge crossing False Creek.

Late night Burrard Bridge, Vancouver, BC

Vancouver is consistently named one of the top five worldwide cities for livability and their quality of life. One only has to look out this window to understand that should there be a contest to see which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Vancouver would qualify for that, too.