Historic Places Days | Behind The Scenes Vancouver Tours

Celebrate Historic Places Days with VHF with two exclusive behind-the-scenes tours! Discover the history behind the Chin Wing Chun Tong Society building with Larry Chin on July 11 and explore the Vancouver Block with Donald Luxton on July 18. 

About Historic Places Days

Historic Places Days is a platform for individuals and organizations to showcase the places and stories important to them in their own words. As the presenter, the National Trust for Canada recognizes that Canada’s history and heritage is complex and contentious, dominated by settler perspectives, and that individually or collectively the stories may lack diversity. 

Saturday, July 11th | Behind the Scenes with Vancouver's Chinese Societies with Larry Chin

Please note: This walk will include access to the Chin Wing Chun Tong Society building, a heritage building that has limited accessibility options. The venue is not equipped for mobility devices, and guests will need to ascend four flights of stairs to reach the Main Hall.

 A visible and yet commonly overlooked fabric that lines the streets of Chinatown and their surrounding neighbourhoods are Chinese Societies and Vancouver is home to one of the largest concentrations of them. Join Larry Chin as he guides you on a journey from their origins to present day as he shares his insights on their purpose and relevance in today's Vancouver. 

The two hour tour will begin with an hour-long walking tour with community expert Larry Chin exploring the community connections in Chinatown. A portion of the tour will be spent in the  Chin Wing Chun Tong Society building located at 158-160 E Pender St.

Each registered participant will receive a copy of a beautifully illustrated Chinese Societies Map authored by Larry Chin. 

About the Speaker:

Larry Chin is an award-winning filmmaker, professional photographer and active volunteer in Vancouver’s Chinatown neighbourhood. He has co-directed a number of documentaries including, Keys to Living Heritage, which highlights Chinese Societies in Vancouver’s Chinatown and Strathcona neighbourhoods. He currently sits on the Board of Directors at Chin Wing Chun Society of Canada, Vancouver Tsung Tsin (Hakka) Association and Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC and an Honourary member of the Chinatown Society Heritage Buildings Association.

Saturday, July 18th | Behind the Scenes at the Vancouver Block 

Please note: The Vancouver Block portion of this tour will involve climbing three flights of stairs in order to access to the clock tower and viewing deck.

SOLD OUT! Please email golmehr@vancouverheritagefoundation.org to be added to the waitlist for this event.

Characterized by the large, illuminated clock tower set atop its fifteen-storey height, the Vancouver Block, which slightly predated the adjacent Birks Building by Somervell & Putnam, helped establish Georgia and Granville as the commercial core of early Vancouver and serves as a symbol of the rapid growth in Vancouver’s economy and urban fabric in the early twentieth century. Completed in 1912, this Edwardian Commercial building is one of the most impressive structures designed by the prolific architectural firm of Parr & Fee. Throughout its history, numerous upgrades have been made to the building to protect the building’s structure, comply with modern safety requirements, and preserve its heritage character.

The tour will begin with an hour-long walking tour with heritage consultant Donald Luxton exploring the economic growth of Vancouver. The second half of the tour will end with a guided tour of the Vancouver Block building (736 Granville Street), including the clock tower and viewing platform.

About the Speaker

Donald Luxton is a heritage consultant, advocate, educator and author. He has worked on numerous heritage and cultural resource management projects throughout western Canada since 1983. A leading proponent of heritage conservation in BC, Donald was instrumental in the creation of VHF’s True Colours historical paint palette and among his book credits is Building the West: The Architects of Early British Columbia.

Details:

• Registration is required in advance for tours, either online or by phone. VHF staff does not have the ability to purchase event tickets for you. Tickets will not be sold at the event.
• Walking Tours will take place rain or shine on select days. Each tour will be two (2) +/- hours long and will take a one way route.
• There is a maximum capacity of 20 people per tour and need 10 registrants to run. Registration is required in advance for all walking tours and ID must match the ticket. Unregistered people will not be permitted to join on the tour date. Do not seek out the group on the tour day in hopes of joining as this will disrupt the tour; if you are not able to attend your tour, due to liability reasons an unregistered replacement showing up in your place will not be accepted.
• Tours take place in public spaces through Vancouver, BC. Participants will encounter a variety of terrain including uncontrolled road crossings, gravel, stairs, slopes, etc. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at mail@vancouverheritagefoundation.org.
• For the comfort and safety of all participants, service animals are the only pets allowed on walking tours.
• While tours are geared towards an adult audience, children are welcome to attend. Infants and toddlers in a carrier or stroller do not require a ticket. Children 6 years and older must be able to walk the entire duration of the tour and require their own ticket. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at mail@vancouverheritagefoundation.org.
• Washrooms will not be available on the tour.
• Further details, including start and finish points, will be provided to registered participants 2 weeks prior to the tour date.
• Tickets will be available for purchase until 5pm the day before each tour or until sold out.
• Please email katherine@vancouverheritagefoundation.org to join the waitlist for the Vancouver Chinese Societies tour and golmehr@vancouverheritagefoundation.org for the Vancouver Block tour waitlist. 

PLEASE NOTE: For in-person events, we are unable to provide refunds or credits for cancellations received less than four (4) weeks prior to the event. For additional information on VHF's policies, please visit our Policies page prior to registering.

If you would like to make a donation in addition to your registration, the amount will be tax deductible and you will receive an official tax receipt for donations of $20 or more. Our Registered Charity number is 891765968.

GST# 89176 5968 RT0001