"Canada's Magnificent Pacific Harbour"
In November 1864, Captain Hellon's barque the Ellen Lewis left Burrard Inlet with the area's first export of lumber destined for Adelaide, Australia. The harbour would soon be crowded with lumber schooners from around the world. The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1887 meant it could get busier with ships now offering scheduled service to Asia, Australia, New Zealand and other ports. In the international press Vancouver was quickly dubbed the "Gateway to the Orient".
With Vancouver, as the place to be, the federal government opened the Immigration Building in 1914. The six-story, cream-coloured brick structure dominated the view from the foot of Thurlow Street until its demolition in 1976, a site now occupied by the convention centre.
Opened in 1986, Portal Park was originally designed to sit at the edge of the bluff overlooking the port and its activities. The city has since expanded beyond the park.