History of the Area

False Creek

False Creek was once the winter home of people from the Squamish Nation. Before 1860, the "Creek" was five time its present size (extending north to what is now Pender Street, and east to Clark Drive) and was filled with fish and wildlife. The first Europeans arrived in 1859. It was an English sea captain named Richardson who ventured into the waterway thinking it would be a shortcut to Burrard Inlet. Disappointed, he named it False Creek.

SEFC has played a significant role in Vancouver's history - many key industries that helped build the city were located on or near this site. At various times over the last 100 years, sawmills, foundries, shipbuilders, railyards, metalworks, salt distributors, and warehouses have crowded the shoreline. Until recently, SEFC was also home to the City's public works yard (Cambie Yards).

SEFC has an interesting past and a dramatic future. As part of the whole redevelopment of False Creek, it is a symbol, in miniature, of Vancouver's transformation from a First Nations settlement, to a "boom and bust" resource economy based on forestry and fishing, to a modern economy based on finance, retail, tourism, hospitality and high-tech.

Below are a few historical shots of southeast False Creek, dating from 1890 to the 1970s. These are from the City of Vancouver Archives collection.

Historical Images (click image to enlarge)

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