A who’s who of baseball once played at Athletic Park at 5th Avenue just east of South Granville Street. Opened in April, 1913 with a huge parade from downtown, over 5000 fans enjoyed the opening game between the Tacoma Tigers and the Vancouver Beavers, who won easily 8 to 4.

Athletic Park hosted Canada’s first night baseball game in 1931, while Babe Ruth played in a major league all-star exhibition game at the park in 1934.

The end came for the venerable place with the construction of the new Granville Bridge in 1953 and the park had to give way for the Hemlock Street on ramp.