All about False Creek
False Creek is a popular marine and boating area used for a number of residential, commercial and marina activities. False Creek is an inlet that separates the False Creek community to the south from Downtown Vancouver to the north. Equipped with an outstanding view of Downtown Vancouver is the Olympic Village which lies off the shore of south False Creek. The area is also connected to Downtown Vancouver with the Canada Line Skytrain through an underwater tunnel. False Creek has turned into a community where residential condominiums lay of the shore of the seawall with several types of wildlife. Due to the False Creek water being shallow, the seawall was built so that the shore would be constrained to small wildlife entering the shore. This was due to an issue in May 2010 where a full sized grey whale had entered the shore of False Creek. Fortunately, the grey whale was capable of turning itself around and swimming back into the open waters. The False Creek area has also hosted the Canadian International Dragonboat Festival and has a marine taxi which connects the False Creek community to Downtown Vancouver and Granville Island. False Creek is also home to the Telus World of Science, which lies on the end of the False Creek Inlet.
The False Creek area is also home to our flower shop, Nature’s Wonders Florist. Please feel free to visit us at 60 East 2nd Ave in Vancouver, BC and talk to our floral experts who can assist you with all you floral needs.
History of False Creek
False Creek was the industrial heartland of Vancouver during the 1950’s.The False Creek area played a major role during the World War I era, supplying and transporting industrial products. In this era, False Creek was transformed into an area of industrial buildings and railway yards for the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway. It was also home to many sawmills and the main western terminal for all major Canadian railways. However as the industrial sector began to shift towards other areas of Greater Vancouver, the False Creek area deteriorated, leaving the area looking like a ghost town.
Fortunately, the False Creek area began to undergo several changes in the 1960’s. With the introduction of a redevelopment plan for the area by the NPA city government, showed that the area was destined for urban renewal and a freeway that would connect to Downtown Vancouver. In the same era, the city was also discussing an urban renewal for the Strathcona area. However a movement by the newly formed T.E.A.M. (The Electors Action Movement) headed by Geography Professor of UBC, George Hardwick, had changed the cities plans. George Hardwick had envisioned for the False Creek area to be developed into a waterfront mixed-use community. However with little public consultation and the movement by T.E.A.M., the idea for freeways to be run through the city was eventually rejected.
Professor George Hardwick was then elected as a city councilor in 1968 and began leading the city’s redevelopment plan for the False Creek area. Hardwick ensured that this time around, there was a lot of public involvement which led to the idea of the area being an accessible waterfront with low-income residential condominiums and marina development. This idea was revolutionary at the time for the City of Vancouver and was finalized in the Official Development Plan of 1972.
Today, with the suspension of industrial development, False Creek is more of a residential area then the industrial zone it once was. With the newly developed Olympic Village, False Creek has slowly transformed into ecological neighborhood with the return of wildlife and less polluted water.
Geography of False Creek
False Creek is a small inlet on the edge of Downtown Vancouver and separates Downtown Vancouver from the rest of Greater Vancouver. The neighborhood of False Creek resides between Cambie Street to the east, West 2nd Ave to the south, Main Street to the east and ends in the north on the shore of the False Creek inlet. The False creek community is on the south side of the False Creek Inlet adjacent to the north side where Downtown Vancouver is located.