“The Hastings Great White Way”

Nicknamed after Broadway “The Great White Way” of New York City, Hastings Street was the heart of Vancouver’s entertainment district, with theatres, cinemas, pool halls and restaurants lining the road from Victory Square to Main Street. In the early 1900’s Hasting Street was considered the heart of Vancouver’s Entertainment disctrict, and only a few short years ago the last of the great theatres, The Pantages was lost.

Built in 1907 and opened the following year, The Pantages Theatre was part of the city’s booming Vaudeville business. This post by Kendall Walters shares some of the rich and little known history of Hastings Street as well as a priviledged introduction to Tom Carter, Forbidden Vancouver’s local historian and artist.