Vancouver Lexicon

Welcome to the Vancouver Lexicon. Its purpose is to pin down the patois of the City of Vancouver by recording its toponyms, nicknames, slang terms, personalities, places, and other Van-centric things.

Lexicon / Tofino

This Was the Largest Act of Civil Disobedience in Canadian History

"Some of the environmentalists protesting the pipeline were also in the thick of it during the War in the Woods..."

Lexicon / Victoria

Where Victoria's 'Criminally Insane' Used to Grow Their Vegetables

"When I was a kid we'd sometimes hear about prisoners breaking out of Wilkie and causing all kinds of crazy shit..."

Lexicon / Downtown

Vancouver Had Its Own Music Video Show Before MTV or Much Music

“When Nite Dreems didn’t have the video for a song they just filmed a tight-shot of John Tanner’s hands 'dancing' to the music.”

Lexicon / Downtown

The Old Clock at Granville & Hastings Has a Short Name and a Long Story

"Long ago when Vancouver revolved around the intersection of Georgia and Granville, the Birks Clock was like its spindle."

Lexicon / Main Street

What It's Called When a Developer's Greed Helps Erase a Neighbourhood's Character

"Since it was re-zoned, the lower Main Street section of Mount Pleasant has seen a lot of Condo Creep coming up from Olympic Village..."

Lexicon

The Beloved Giant Grizzly Who Just Up and Disappeared One Day

"Until I saw the documentary I thought Big Country had either died in anonymity or had moved to a country that didn't know basketball..."

Lexicon / Downtown East Side

Do You Know the Nickname of This Storied, High-Trafficked Stretch of the Downtown Eastside?

"My bike was stolen last night and everyone I know is telling me to look for it on the Zero Block..."

A-Z

#

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z