VHF advances the appreciation and conservation of our city’s diverse heritage places and their stories. We raise awareness of the vital contribution that heritage makes to a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable community.
We host informative events and workshops, create resources about Vancouver’s history and heritage places, and provide financial and practical support for the successful conservation of historic buildings and sites.
Take a walk through some of Vancouver's historic neighbourhoods this summer. Available here to download and print or to use on a desktop or mobile device, each map guide provides a walkable route to follow and learn about local history and heritage places.
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10 am SOLD OUT! The place we call Vancouver was a varied landscape of forest, bogs and streams that flowed into the surrounding waters. The streams and the bogs were an important source of food for the Indigenous population. However, settlement and resource extraction saw the destruction of these waterways so that today there are only 2 open streams within the city. On this series of walks we’ll walk the courses of some lost streams and find the traces that reveal their location and look at the development of the area over time. This walk will focus on the area around East 4th and Penticton Street.
Some of the city's most notable landmarks, including the Post Office at Hastings and Granville and the iconic Sun Tower, were part of the first 22 buildings designed by City Council in 1974. On this evening walk, John Atkin will explore those original Heritage designations that still remain in downtown Vancouver.
In many municipalities in BC, a Heritage Conservation Plan is a mandatory document for development permits involving a listed heritage property or for the purposes of a Heritage Revitalization Agreement, but it also represents a really helpful and thorough decision making process for owners of old buildings. In this informative in-person workshop, heritage professional Elana Zysblat will illustrate how to create a Heritage Conservation Plan using real case studies. Each project will be illustrated and analyzed from the research stage, through the owner’s plans and needs, the construction phase and the crucial role of the Heritage Conservation Plan in guiding and solving the complexity of a heritage project
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An interactive map of places listed on Vancouver's Heritage Register.
Places That Matter sites recognize some of the people, places and events that tell the story of Vancouver’s history.
Defines, details and illustrates local house styles, their architectural elements and social context.
As a charitable organization, we are grateful for all donations. Your support means we can promote appreciation of Vancouver's unique history and heritage places, as well as support conservation projects with education, information and grants. Donors are known as Friends of VHF and are acknowledged on our website.
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Explore all resources & guides
A heritage study guide, grants for field trips and professional development support
Guidance and support for heritage property owners and stewards.
Learn about the relationship between community, sustainability and heritage
Explore all grants
Support for heritage places.
Grants to assist with researching and sharing Vancouver's heritage.
To support local field trip costs for Vancouver history and heritage experiences.