From wilderness to world-class city
In 1867, a Yorkshire-born sailor named John "Gassy Jack" Deighton paddled into Burrard Inlet with his Indigenous wife, a dog, two chairs, and a barrel of whiskey. He opened the area's first saloon, and within 24 hours, loggers had built him a bar in exchange for drinks.
This saloon became the nucleus of "Gassy's Town"—later shortened to Gastown. The settlement grew rapidly as the terminus point for the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway, earning Vancouver the nickname "The Terminal City."
In 1886, the Canadian Pacific Railway chose Burrard Inlet as its western terminus, transforming a small sawmill settlement into a major port city. The railway connected Vancouver to the rest of Canada and opened Pacific trade routes that would define the city's future.
On June 13, 1886—just two months after Vancouver was officially incorporated—disaster struck. A land-clearing fire spread out of control, consuming the entire city in less than an hour. The wooden buildings were no match for the flames.
The city was rebuilt in brick and stone, rising from the ashes stronger than before. This resilience became part of Vancouver's DNA.
The 1986 World's Fair put Vancouver on the global map. It brought 22 million visitors, transformed False Creek from an industrial wasteland into a vibrant waterfront community, and established Vancouver as an international city. The iconic Science World geodesic dome remains as a lasting legacy.