The photographs collected here began their life as a break from shooting widgets and portraits — from climbing gear to fashion — in my small Vancouver commercial studio.
I often loaded my Mamiyaflex medium format, twin-lens reflex camera and Tiltall tripod onto my bicycle and set out to explore the nooks and crannies of the city.
With Expo ’86 World’s Fair looming, I was aware that the city was due to experience a “boom” — at least that’s what its sponsors were promising, and the succeeding years have more than met their expectations.
Many heritage buildings not lucky enough earn official designation met the wrecker’s ball in the 80s, making way for the glass towers now dominating areas like False Creek and neighbouring Yaletown.
Check out Eighties Vancouver stories here.
ǝʇɒƆ ƨ’ǝϱɿoǝӘ, Broadway & Yew, Vancouver, 1985
Mercury Monterey, Point Grey, 1985
A classic Mercury Monterey car parked across from Earl's Restaurant, on W. 10th Ave., Vancouver, 1985
Incredible Special Offer, 3714 W. 10 Ave., Vancouver, 1985
Shell Station, Discovery & W. 10th Ave., Vancouver, 1986
Night view of Shell station at Discovery & W.10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC
W. 10th & Sasamat, Vancouver, 1985
West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, 1986
4300 block W. 10th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., 1986
Above Jericho, Vancouver, 1985
Broadway & Heather, Vancouver, 1983
Looking north from Broadway & Heather over, the Vancouver skyline, 1983
Wooden Roller Coaster, Vancouver, 1986
View from the top of Vancouver's wooden roller coaster, at Playland, over to the North Shore mountains
Gastown Alley & Harbour Centre Tower, Vancouver, 1983
View From Seymour to Granville, Vancouver, 1983
Raymur Pedestrian Bridge, Vancouver, 1983
Civil Servant, Vancouver, 1984
Lonely Tree, Gastown, Vancouver, 1984
View over Gastown rooftops to intersection of Water, Powell, Carall, and Alexander Streets, including the Hotel Europe, with Golden Ears' mountains on far horizon.
Under Burrard Bridge, Vancouver, 1985
View from under the Burrard Bridge, over False Creek to the West End
Peace Under Burrard Bridge, Vancouver, 1986
Captain Cook Tug Passes Granville Island, Vancouver, 1985
Lafarge's Captain Cook tugboat transits False Creek, in Vancouver
Birth of Expo 86, False Creek, Vancouver, 1985
GM Pavilion, Expo 86 Site, Vancouver, 1985
Expo '86 construction along north shore of False Creek
Industry, False Creek, 1984
View at dawn, southeast from the deck on top of old Cambie Bridge over False Creek
Crowd on Old Connaught Bridge at Pacific Blvd., 1984
Expo Construction, False Creek East, 1985
Expo 86 site rises on the north side of False Creek, 1985
Construction, Cambie Street Bridge, 1985
Electric Art, Broadway, Vancouver, 1986
Old neon sign on W. Broadway, Vancouver
563 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver, 1983
Derelict electronics shop on Vancouver's E. Hastings street
Alpha Romeo, Homer & Helmcken, 1985
Old Alpha-Romeo dealers on Homer Street at Helmcken, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1985
E. Cordova & Main, Vancouver, 1986
Old van, parked on E. Cordova at Main, Vancouver, British Columbia
Ambassador Hotel, Robson & Seymour, Vancouver, 1983
View from the corner of Robson and Seymour, Vancouver
Bank of Montreal Building, Main and Prior, Vancouver, 1984
View of old Bank of Montreal building at Main and Prior Streets, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1984
Carall & Powell, Gastown, Vancouver, 1986
Evening in Gastown, at Carall & Powell Streets
500 Block Beatty Street (rear view), Vancouver, 1983
Rear view of 500 block Beatty Street, Vancouver, including (L-R) Harbour Centre; Granville Square; roof of Dominion Building; Sun Tower; Woodward's sign
The Lovers, Vancouver City Hall, 1983
"The Lovers," sculpture by Gerhard Juchum on the grounds of Vancouver City Hall
Victory Square, Vancouver, 1983
View of Victory Square, W. Pender & Cambie, The Edgett Building (right) and the Dominion Building, at Cambie & W. Hastings
Eaton's "Marshmallow" Building, Vancouver, 1984
Old Eaton's building, Vancouver
Granville Street Pedestrian Underpass, 1984
Pedestrian underpass, built in 1954, at Granville and W. 5th Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia
The Gray Block, Homer & Davie, 1985
View of the old Gray Block, at the intersection of Homer and Davie Streets, in Vancouver's Yaletown
Law Courts (rear) & Nelson Square Tower, Vancouver, 1983
Rear view of Nelson Square and law courts in Vancouver
Condemned Orillia Building, Robson & Seymour, 1985
A rainy day on Robson Street sets the mood for this photo of the soon-to-be-demolished Orillia Building.
Park Theatre, Cambie Street, Vancouver, 1986
View of Vancouver's 726 seat Park Theatre, built in 1941.
Riviera Motor Inn, Robson Street, Vancouver, 1983
Riviera Motor Inn, on Robson Street, Vancouver, British Columbia
Robson Square, 1984
View from old parking lot near the intersection of Robson Street and Howe
Passing Trolley Bus, W. 10th Avenue, Vancouver, 1985
An electric trolley bus passes in the night, in Point Grey, Vancouver, BC
Sunset Beach (March End), Vancouver, 1983
Peace march ends at English Bay, in Vancouver's West End
Trounce Alley to Abbott & Water Streets, Vancouver, 1984
View over Trounce Alley to Abbott and Water Streets, in Gastown, Vancouver, BC.
Woodward's Building, Vancouver, 1984
View of old Woodward's building, to Sun Building and stadium, Vancouver
Quebec Street & E. 10th Avenue, Vancouver, 1984
Evangelistic Tabernacle in East Vancouver, 1984
Robson & Bute, Vancouver, 1984
Looking down Robson St., from the corner of Bute, to the Empire Landmark Hotel.
Mountainview Cemetary, Vancouver, 1984
New grave in Mountainview Cemetery and child on a bicycle
Dome, St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church, Vancouver, 1983
Entrance dome of St. Mary's Ukranian Catholic Church, W.14th Avenue, Vancouver, BC
Robson & Thurlow (Business Man Checking His Watch), 1984
A businessman waits for the light to change at the intersection of Robson & Thurlow Streets, in Vancouver, BC
Kitsilano Invasion, 1985
Soldiers drill in peaceful Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
Bollards, Jericho Beach, 1985
Bollards at Jericho Beach, Vancouver
Main & E. Georgia, Vancouver, 1984
600 block Main & E. Georgia, Vancouver, 1984
Pacific Hotel, Main Street, Vancouver, 1984
View north on Main Street, Vancouver
Cherry Tree Jesus, Vancouver, 1983
A bearded man perches in a cherry blossom tree at an anti-nuclear protest in Vancouver, BC, 1983
Winter Sun, Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, 1984
Smith Davidson Lecky Building with Volkswagen Cabriolet, Homer Street, Vancouver, 1985
Hostel, Jericho, Vancouver, 1985
Snowy winter view of Jericho Hostel, Vancouver, British Columbia
Don’t miss the 35mm work
Krzysztof - Lovely photos, thanks. I’m curious about the Kitsilano Invasion. Is it a re-enactment of the wartime amphibious beach landing exercises on Kits Beach?October 1, 2020 – 1:40 pm
Raymond Parker - Thanks, Krysztof. You’re going to make me reveal the secret 🙂 It was a military exercise. I had just made the “Under Burrard Bridge” photo, turned around, and there they were. After a WTF moment, I gathered my wits, focussed, and pressed the shutter.October 1, 2020 – 6:24 pm
Mel MacD - I’ve lived in downtown Vancouver since 1988 (except for a year overseas), and what I’m mostly amazed by are the things that haven’t changed. That Robson and Thurlow focus building has changed nothing but the street-front vendors (Starbuck’s since forever). The Royal Bank building (once the tallest permitted) and the other background high-rise also remain untouched, but are now overshadowed by higher-rises in their background.On your 35 mm tab, The Bible Store is long-gone but the Marble Arch Hotel across the street and behind it has so far somehow achieved immortality, and the Bute and Robson rubble went on to become only a two-storey restaurant/retail complex now in sad condition and likely facing another demo soon.Thanks for the memories.October 31, 2018 – 10:20 am
Raymond Parker - You’re right, Mel. There are survival stories to be told (I should tell more but always afraid to tempt fate 🙂 ).
As I’ve noted and photographed, my old apartment in that block, on that side of Robson, has somehow dodged the wrecker’s ball. I noticed that “new” building at Robson and Bute looked pretty decrepit the last time I was there.
Of course, the 45-year-old Empire Landmark, which features in another of my shots from that intersection, is coming down.
Glad to provide the memories. October 31, 2018 – 10:35 am
Barry Hall - I lived in Vancouver in the eighties. These are great shots! It’s still a great city but it has lost some of what it was, glad I experienced Vancouver before 1986, it sure changed a lot after thatNovember 6, 2017 – 11:45 am
Raymond Parker - Glad you enjoyed them, Barry. As the Vancouver Sun story linked below outlines, Expo was at the root of the changes. Those who haven’t experienced what Vancouver was (warts and all) can’t begin to understand what we are nostalgic for.November 6, 2017 – 3:57 pm
Susan Carrick - Wow, so many memories! Trying to remember, the Jericho Hostel, was that part of the barracks? My dad was stationed in Jericho way back.September 21, 2017 – 11:05 am
Raymond Parker - Indeed, it was once the Jericho Barracks. Converted to hostel in 1971. Here is the background story.September 21, 2017 – 11:19 am
Robin - I love old photos! What great shots Raymond.July 17, 2015 – 2:40 am
Raymond Parker - Thank you very much, Robin. I appreciate your endorsement. I’ll be sharing more of the stories behind them in the coming weeks.July 17, 2015 – 12:36 pm
Brianna - This is so interesting. Looks like an entirely different city in such a short time.March 8, 2015 – 8:31 pm
Raymond Parker - Glad you like them, Brianna. It was pretty obvious, with Expo ’86 looming, that Vancouver, especially around False Creek, was going to experience a building boom and that many of my old haunts would be cleared to make way, not to mention other areas of the city also experiencing gentrification.
As the temporary structures that signalled Expos arrival sprung up, I wandered the streets, bridges and alleys of the city with my Mamiyaflex medium-format camera, often by bicycle.
Many scenes I photographed faced imminent destruction, while others would be levelled in the post-Expo development frenzy.
This Vancouver Sun article tells the background story of the transformation.March 9, 2015 – 10:22 am