The city blocks surrounding the corner of Columbia and Eighth Streets have been a major focus of the downtown story since the city plan was first surveyed. This corner has always been a well-connected site.
There was access to the river as well as links to the trails and roads that headed off into the forested landscape surrounding the new capital city's location. The street junction was broad to accommodate cargo and people, incoming or outgoing. In time, the railroad would arrive and a streetcar transit system would open up more territory. One of the many stations from each of these systems remain downtown today.
A brief look at the various buildings and businesses that have occupied land near this corner since the city began in 1859 is very informative. This certainly was one of the vital corners downtown and, for that matter, within the entire town.
On the waterfront nearby there were docks, industry, boat moorage, fishing boats, public works vessels, warehouses, cold storage, and many others. As noted previously, there were train tracks with spur lines, shipping landings, and even an impressive large u-shaped track to reroute freight cars and engines.
There were a number of hotels, cafés, confectionery shops and the like, to serve a busy bustling clientele. There was also a great place for ice cream.
There were hardware stores, machine shops, two or three blacksmiths, a carpentry shop or two, and other similar businesses. There were clothing stores, tailors, places to find boots and shoes, and more.
There were sewing shops, dry cleaners, restaurants, purveyors of produce, meats and fish, all operated by hard working Chinese and Japanese entrepreneurs. There were livery stables, a small movie house, and offices for tug boats and other river-based firms.
One hardware store had a marvellous sign standing out from the business block - a huge padlock. Another store nearby had a very big clock with a suspended pendulum below, marking the entrance to the downtown. A local hotel was home to a radio station destined from day one to be a prominent player in the innovative mode of entertainment.
This is but a simple and very selective list from the area immediately surrounding Eighth Street at Columbia - there are many more examples to be had.
It is on one of the corners of this intersection that the new civic structure, to be known as the Anvil Centre, is now under construction. When complete it will take its place in the story of this neighbourhood.
For a visual tour of this "Anvil Centre neighbourhood" through the years, plan to come to the New Westminster Historical Society evening on Wednesday, May 15 starting at 7: 30 p.m. in the library auditorium. You'll be intrigued by the history and captivated by the pictures.
