Commercial Drive, East Vancouver

Commercial Drive is a roadway in the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada that goes through the neighborhood of Grandview-Woodland. However, the neighborhood is so dominated by the businesses, cultural facilities, and residents along Commercial Drive that the area is far better known as "The Drive" than by the civic boundaries. The district is one of Vancouver's Business Improvement Areas (BIA). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x681, 221 KB)Photographer: Mussels http://flickr. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x681, 221 KB)Photographer: Mussels http://flickr. ... Vancouver (pronounced: ) is a Canadian city in the province of British Columbia. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages none stated in law; English is de facto Flower Pacific dogwood Tree Western Redcedar Bird Stellers Jay Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6... Grandview-Woodland is a neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to the east of the downtown area, stretching south from the shores of Burrard Inlet and encompassing portions of the popular Commercial Drive area. ... A business improvement district (BID) (also known as a special improvement district or a business improvement area) is a public/private sector partnership in which property and business owners of a defined area elect to make a collective contribution to the maintenance, development and marketing/promotion of their commercial district. ...

The district is served by many different bus routes, as well as both the Skytrain's Expo Line and Millennium Line, at the Broadway Station and Commercial Drive Stations, respectively. The platform at Granville Station is one of the busiest in the SkyTrain system. ... The Expo Line is the oldest line in the SkyTrain rapid transit system in Greater Vancouver, Canada. ... The Millennium Line is the second line in the SkyTrain rapid transit system in Greater Vancouver, Canada. ... A Skytrain approaching Broadway Station. ... Commercial Drive Station is a light rail station in Vancouver, British Columbia. ...

Commercial Drive is a mixed residential-commercial area with a high proportion of ethnic restaurants, businesses, and public housing. The area has low property prices compared to the westside of Vancouver, yet has good city services and is a local transit hub. It has been the destination for generations of immigrants to Vancouver and has significant Asian, European, Latin-American, East Indian, and African communities. As of the Canada 2001 census, English is a minority language in Grandview Woodlands, though still the most common. A local authority tower block in Cwmbrân, South Wales Public housing or project homes is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... The Indies, on the display globe of the Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois The Indies or East Indies (or East India) is a term used to describe lands of South and Southeast Asia, occupying all of the former British India, the present Indian Union, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives... The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. ...

Commercial Drive has a large number of local ethnic stores and community groups, Edwardian-style heritage buildings, European-style cafes, bars, and alternative shops and entertainment venues. The Edwardian period or Edwardian era in the United Kingdom is the period 1901 to 1910, the reign of King Edward VII. It is sometimes extended to include the period to the start of World War I in 1914 or even the end of the war in 1918. ... Alternative culture is a catch-all phrase used predominately by the media and the marketing industry to refer to a variety of separate sub-cultures – (which are either loosely related or near-totally unrelated) – and are perceived by the general public as being outside or on the edge of so...

It is home to an active street festival culture; notable annual events include the Vancouver Dyke March in August and the Parade of the Lost Souls in October. It also plays host to Vancouver's only queer spoken word and musician performance night, Unsweetened (and Outspoken). The Drive is a popular place for Vancouverites who want to experience a safe version of North American counter-culture. During the 1960s the term underground acquired a new meaning in that it referred to members of the so-called counterculture, i. ...

History

The Drive was originally a skid road for dragging logs to the harbour. It was named "Park Drive" but renamed "Commercial Drive" in 1911, possibly to avoid confusion with other Park Drives in Vancouver. 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...

In 1891 the Drive became part of the Vancouver-New Westminster Interurban, a streetcar line. The streetcar line encouraged the growth of local businesses and residences, an influence that is still felt today. The Interurban ceased operation in 1954. 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

After World War I many Italian immigrants settled in eastern Vancouver, and the northern part of Commercial Drive came to be known as "Little Italy". Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire Canada France Italy Russian Empire United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria German Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Douglas Haig Sir Arthur Currie John Jellicoe Ferdinand Foch Nicholas II Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Reinhard Scheer Franz Josef I Oskar Potiorek Ä°smail Enver Ferdinand I... Little Italy in Vancouver, Canada is a neighborhood primarily located on Commercial Drive in the eastern part of the city. ...

Commercial Drive was the center of a prosperous suburb during the 1920s, but declined during the Great Depression and never significantly recovered until World War II. One result of this is a significant number of historical buildings and residences in the area. The 1920s was a decade sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... The Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn which started in 1929 (although its effects were not fully felt until late in 1930) and lasting through most of the 1930s. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

During the 1960s, immigration from Asian countries began to dilute the European influence. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ...

In the years around 2000, local outlets of multi-national companies became the target of anti-globalization protesters and civil disobedience campaigns. As of 2005, there are still very few large retail or restaurant chains on Commercial Drive.

In 2002, many restaurant owners were upset with the infamous "dancing police"; bylaw enforcement officers who ticketed establishments hosting any dancing to live music. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

In late 2004, Commercial Drive gained national notoriety when the media revealed that several cafes there were openly selling marijuana. The issue has publicised the city's lack of enforcement of Canadian drug laws, and demonstrated a commitment to its stated "Four Pillars" drug strategy. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Cannabis sativa plant The drug cannabis, also called marijuana, is produced from parts of the cannabis plant, primarily the cured flowers and gathered trichomes of the female plant. ...

In early summer 2005, Commercial Drive hosted its first car-free festival, in which 16 blocks were cleared of all vehicles and tens of thousands of people celebrated with walks, dancing, and food. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Commercial Drive Neighborhood
• Commercial Drive Business Association
• Grandview Woodlands community