Photo by Jan Hilario

Located in the heart of Vancouver, False Creek is a short inlet, separating downtown from the rest of the city. One of the four major bodies of water bordering Vancouver, False Creek is spanned by three bridges: the Burrard Street bridge, Granville Street bridge, and Cambie Street bridge.

Science World is located at its eastern end, with the fiscally controversial Olympic Village on the southeast side. The Canada Line tunnel crosses underneath False Creek just west of the Cambie Bridge.

The Creek formerly ran up to Clark Drive, but during World War I, its easternmost area was filled in by the Great Northern Railway and Canadian Northern Pacific Railway to create space for yards and terminals. Home to many sawmills and port operations, False Creek was the city’s industrial heartland through to the 1950s. But as industry shifted to other areas, the vicinity around False Creek started to deteriorate.

The area, and Southeast False Creek in particular, is now being developed as a mixed-use community, with a focus on sustainable housing options. Now a recreational and residential hotspot, it has over 10 marinas with berths for 1,500 watercraft. Just a random fact: in 2010, a grey whale entered and swam the length of False Creek, before returning to the Strait of Georgia.

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Pictures by Jan Hilario