Downtown

The area now known as downtown Vancouver is situated on the unceded ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish peoples. Long before European contact, these Indigenous communities had established villages, place names, and cultural traditions deeply connected to the land. Locations such as χʏwβʇχʏwβɛʇ (χʷay̓χʷəy̓), near what is now Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley Park, reflect the long-standing presence of these nations. Settlements such as Musqueam, Eyalmu, Whoi-whoi, and Homulchesun thrived in what is now Greater Vancouver, long before the arrival of European explorers (Couture, 2020).

Vancouver was formally incorporated by the Province of British Columbia in 1886, marking a significant shift in the region’s governance and urban development. The first city council’s request for the federal government to establish Stanley Park in 1886 had lasting consequences, as the land—home to Indigenous communities—was expropriated without consent. From its inception, Vancouver’s expansion was intertwined with “municipal colonialism,” a belief that Indigenous presence was incompatible with modern urban life (Stanger-Ross, 2008). The city’s early narratives often erased Indigenous history, portraying the land as a “silent solitude of the primeval forest” before European settlement (Kenny, 2016). The imposition of a gridded street plan further cemented settler control over the landscape, reinforcing notions of respectability and social order that are tied to British heritage.

As downtown Vancouver developed, social divisions became increasingly pronounced. Chinese immigrants, who had been instrumental in the city’s labour economy, faced systemic discrimination and were confined to Chinatown through exclusionary policies such as the Chinese Head Tax. Meanwhile, the city’s early working-class and marginalized populations clustered in areas like the Downtown Eastside, historically referred to as “Skid Road” (Wideman & Masuda, 2017). As well, the forced uprooting of Japanese Canadians during World War II, particularly in Powell Street’s “Little Tokyo,” was another act of racial dispossession with lasting impacts on the urban fabric. Post-war urban renewal projects further displaced low-income and racialized communities, particularly near Strathcona in the Downtown Eastside. However, preservation battles in the 1960s signalled resistance to such displacement; the term “Downtown Eastside” emerged to reframe negative perceptions of the area and assert community identity. Here, the Downtown Eastside Residents Association (DERA) played a crucial role in advocating for vulnerable populations, and concurrently, Japanese Canadians sought to reclaim their historical presence, leading to discussions about revitalizing “Japantown” while balancing the needs of the existing community (Wideman & Masuda, 2017).

After the late 20th century, gentrification pressures intensified in and around the Downtown Eastside, sparking debates over displacement, historical injustice, and social inequality. Despite these challenges, recognition of Vancouver’s colonial past has grown. In 2014, the Vancouver City Council formally acknowledged that the city stands on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish peoples (Couture, 2020). The 2020 Vancouver Heritage Program as well expanded the definition of heritage to include Indigenous histories and intangible cultural aspects. Additionally, the Vancouver Heritage Register now includes a “Truth-telling statement” acknowledging colonial harm and the prioritization of settler narratives. Efforts to revitalize Japantown are now approached with greater sensitivity, fostering collaboration between Japanese Canadians and low-income advocates (Wideman & Masuda, 2017). The Downtown Eastside remains a focal point for discussions on historical dispossession, housing insecurity, and the lasting impacts of discriminatory policies (Kenny, 2016). As the city grapples with these legacies, ongoing activism and community efforts seek to create a more equitable and historically conscious urban environment. Yet, the legacies of colonialism and marginalization continue to shape downtown Vancouver’s social and spatial landscape.

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