Hastings-Sunrise is an ethnically diverse working class neighbourhood that stretches from Clark to Boundary Road and from Nanaimo to the waterfront. It’s marked by its dizzying array of ethnic restaurants and independent shops, large and heavily utilised parks, large house lots, and a family-anchored sense of community. East Hastings is its main commercial and transport artery.

In Hasting Sunrise at the moment (our HOOD palettes are ever-changing), we’re seeing the sidewalk fruit stand tricolour in front of Donald’s Market; the hard plastic turquoise slide in Pandora Park; the awning of Red Wagon; the neon “boot” signage above Dayton’s Boots; the green branding and shimmer flags above the J.J. Motor Car lot; Church’s Chicken tri-colour; slate awning at Gourmet Warehouse; summer sky at dusk from a Playland rollercoaster; good pair of jeans score at Value Village; mosaic frontage of the Star Tile building.

PEOPLE EATING DEEP FRIED FOOD AND THEN GOING ON RIDES AT PLAYLAND
OLD GUY TENNIS GAMES IN PANDORA PARK
22,000 SQFT (TEMPORARY) COMMUNITY GARDENS IN THE 2500 BLOCK OF EAST HASTINGS
CHERRY BLOSSOMS MATCHING THE PINK SPIRE OF THE ST. DAVID OF WALES CHURCH
WEEKEND BRUNCH LINE-UPS AT THE RED WAGON CAFE
THE HASTINGS AND LEESIDE SKATEPARKS
SORRENTO BARBERSHOP’S BEAUTIFUL TYPEFACE
THE BENCHMARK COMMUNITY GATHERING AREA AT KAMLOOPS AND EAST HASTINGS
KITSCH AND COLLECTIBLES AT THE MAD PICKER
EAST PENDER ‘S TREE “BOULEVARD” BETWEEN VICTORIA DRIVE AND TEMPLETON DRIVE

– The Hastings Townsite, as it was originally known, didn’t join the City of Vancouver until 1910 – twenty-four years after incorporation.

– Prior to the launch of Rogers Arena in 1995, Hastings-Sunrise was the home of the Vancouver Canucks. They played at the Pacific Coliseum at Hastings and Renfrew. The iconic building witnessed two (ultimately unsuccessful) runs to the Stanley Cup Finals by the Canucks, first in 1982 against the New York Islanders, and again in 1994 against the New York Rangers.

– The city’s first road, hotel, wharf, post office, and museum, among other distinctions, were established in the Hastings-Sunrise area.

– The Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) was established after residents lobbied for more “wholesome” area attractions other than the Hastings Racetrack.

– Hastings St. got its name not from the 1066 Battle of Hastings but from the original Hastings Townsite, which was named in honour of Admiral George Fowler Hastings, a 50 year veteran of the Royal Navy.

– In early 2012, the Hastings North Business Improvement Association saw fit to rename the core 12 block stretch of East Hastings as “The East Village”. They did this autocratically without consulting residents or non-HNMIA member businesses, and City Hall gave them permission to hang banners declaring the “rebrand” from lamp posts. The move was/is widely considered to be imperious folly, with next to no one using the new name. The area will forever be known as Hastings-Sunrise.

– The sheltered, DIY Leeside Skatepark under the Cassiar Connector was named posthumously for its original DIY builder, local artist/skateboarder Lee Matasi, who was shot to death in 2005.

– In 2012, the Hastings North Business Improvement Association attempted to rebrand a large section of the Hastings-Sunrise Area as the “East Village”.

– The Hastings Racetrack is rumoured to have used old cars from the PNE Demolition Derby to level the 19-foot slope difference when it was renovated in 1965.

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