Second Ave

In 1907 city council officially changed the name of the street from False Creek to the top of the hill at 9th Avenue to South Granville Street.

Here’s who was living or doing business on this block.

1800Fairview Cedar Lumber Company
Rat Portage Lumber Company

1829J.L Smith, real estate
Matsugo Hashimoto, merchant (1907/08)

1831Arthur Beamer, wagon maker (1907/08)

1835William Alexander, blacksmith
Marriott and MacKay, blacksmiths (1907/08)

1843Win On and Co. Grocery
Tong Chong Co., general merchants (1907/08)

1845Hobbs and Smith (1907/08)

1847William Gay, plumber

1849James Kirkwood, real estate

Third Avenue

Here’s who was living or doing business on this block.

1923Richard Evans, real estate

1923Boucher and Hargreaves, real estate (1907/08)

1961Thomas Richardson, shoemaker
Sam Rushforth, furniture (1907/08)

Early Businesses

At the north end of South Granville a small collection of Japanese and Chinese businesses began to appear in 1907 coinciding with the rise in employment of men from these communities at the False Creek sawmills and lumber yards. One of the first was the merchant Matsugo Hashimoto, whose store sat between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

Later, these stores were joined by a number of South Asian businesses catering to a growing population working in the mills. North America’s first Sikh temple was located west of Granville on 2nd Avenue.