Victory Square - Through the years!

Victory Square looking south 1920s

This photo of the Cenotaph in Victory Square is from my Grandmother's album. I'm not sure of the exact date but most likely it was taken in the period from the late 1920s to the early 1930s. The view is from the northwest corner of West Hastings and Cambie Street in front of the Dominion Building. On the south side of Victory Square the Central School is visible at the top of the hill. The Cenotaph was officially unveiled in 1924 by Mayor William Reid Owen and was built in honour of the Vancouver soldiers who died in France during the First World War. Judging from this picture, the benches around the Cenotaph looked like a popular location to read the newspaper or to just relax. Unfortunately over time, Victory Square became a very common area for drugs and alcohol.

Victory Square looking south 2014

A view of Victory Square and the Cenotaph from the northwest corner of West Hastings and Cambie Street in front of the Dominion Building in January 2014. Many of the buildings around Victory Square haven't changed since the 1930s with the exception of the General School which was demolished and replaced by the Vancouver Community College. What did change was the gradual shift in importance of this area. The Victory Square area of Vancouver used to be the financial and legal centre of Vancouver but that changed after the move of the Court House to West Georgia Street. Over the years this area became a little more run down and forgotten except every year on November 11th.