Victory Square | Place | With its historically significant location between the Granville Townsite and CPR Townsite, Victory Square is almost like a no man’s land between the forces that shaped the east-west narrative of Vancouver’s development. An important battleground in the labour movement, it was also the site of the Provincial Courthouse (before it moved west together with neighbours The Sun and The Province newspapers) before it became a park and war memorial. It fell into disrepair as a result as a consequence of its abandonment. Massive upgrades between 2002 and 2004, a recurring one day music festival, clouds of pot smokers, and the latest wave of Gastown gentrification now define its character.

Usage: “You know summer’s over when they announce the band line-up for Victory Square…”