False Creek

False Creek (English literally for Wrong Bach) is a narrow, about two kilometers long estuary in the Canadian city of Vancouver. It separates downtown from the rest on the Burrard Peninsula town area and is spanned by three bridges, the Burrard Street Bridge, the Granville Street Bridge and the Cambie Street Bridge. In the western part is the small peninsula Granville Iceland.

On the False Creek operate small passenger ferries. Operated by the private company False Creek Ferries and Aquabus Ferries routes connect nine different docks in a commercial operation.

History

Was named the estuary in 1859 by George Henry Richards, as he carried out hydrographic studies. During the First World War was the easternmost part of that extended 1.5 km to the Clarke Drive, replenished by the railroad companies Great Northern Railway and Canadian Northern Railway, to make way for railway systems. In the 1950s there were plans to replenish the estuary to Granville Street, but this was never implemented. Up to that time, False Creek was the industrial center of Vancouver. On the shore were numerous sawmills, port facilities and the Pacific Central Station.

As the industry moved away to other areas, the area fell apart slowly around the False Creek. In the 1970s, an urban development program began. The disused industrial areas on the south bank were converted to mixed residential and commercial zones. Another burst of development followed in the 1980s, when numerous buildings for the World Expo sprung up around the inlet 86, including the Plaza of Nations and Science World. Since then, the North Shore has been transformed into a densely populated residential area with a population of 50,000.

The at that time very rundown area around the south-eastern part was renovated for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and it was there one of the two Olympic Villages.

Sports

On False Creek are two of the biggest sports arenas Vancouver, including Rogers Arena and BC Place Stadium. The streets around the fjord to 2004 were also several times the scene of Champ Car race. Each June is False Creek hosted the Canadian Dragon Boat Festival.