I'm reading a book that's about Vancouver, BC, from it's infancy- right up to today. It's great to read about the city you've grown up in. It contains a lot of maps including a downtown freeway (that still doesn't exist), and the UBC Endowment Lands that were to be a massive subdivision for mega-houses. Although only a few projects came to being built, the ideas that would have shaped the future of "my city" would have had a major effect on it's neighbourhoods today.

The Milwaukee Road was planning to extend to Vancouver in the early 1900's. The yards were to be built opposite the downtown core, across False Creek where the Planetarium stands today. With the railroad, a massive 40+ ship berth (ships were smaller back then) was going to be built, and warehouses would have engulfed the entire Spanish Banks and Point Grey areas, making the West (richer neighbourhoods) side of Vancouver the industrial mecca. This was all because of the expected increase in ship traffic from the Panama Canal.

Does anyone know what kind of route the Milwaukee Road was planning on taking to get here? Would they rely on a slower North-South line to Seattle, and route East on Snoqualmie? Or would they go on a direct route a'la Avery-Ellensburg, where it's a rollercoaster ride and no cities to generate traffic along the way? My bet is the latter.


almo