Cambie

Location

Cambie is the smallest neighborhood in Vancouver because it has the smallest population and size. Sandwiched between the Queen Elizabeth Park found on the Little Mountain and the classy Shaughnessy homes to the east and west respectively, it is on a narrow stretch of land of approximately 217Ha and is popular for its vast medical facilities. Stretching from the south of West 41st Avenue to the north of West 16th Avenue, Cambie is located between the Cambie street and the north-south Oak Street Corridors that is usually very busy.

Historical Information

In the early 1800, Cambie was given to the Canadian Pacific Railway as part of a grant it received and was named after Henry Cambie. Henry Cambie was a CPR engineer who took charge of the western division of the Railway Corporation. On West 22nd Avenue is the Douglas Park that was previously an elk pasture. Land of approximately 65Ha surrounding this park was claimed by a previous miner of gold in 1874, and was known as William Mackie; it was during this time that settlers who were not natives first set their foot on this land. Jeremiah Rogers followed suit and was involved in the construction of the road that led to the top of the Little Mountain using a logging equipment that was mechanized. He was among the first to do this in British Columbia and the second non-natives to settle. In 1910, a vegetable garden by the Chinese was developed in a section of the land and later on, homes were built in the surrounding areas. It was until the early 1940s that most of the undeveloped land was put into use. The 1912 building in Tudor-style and others built in the 1910s and 1920s located in the northern areas of the neighborhood are some of the heritage buildings found in this area.

Healthcare and Education

The best medical centers and facilities in the province are found in Cambie and includes the BC Women’s Hospital & Health Center, BC Children’s Hospital as well as the Shaughnessy Hospital. Emily Carr Elementary School, Ecole Secondaire Jules-Verne, Eric Hamber Secondary School and Edith Cavell Elementary School are some of the educational institutions found in this area.

Demographics

In 2001, Cambie had a population of about 6,995 and it comprises of both natives and non-natives like the Chinese.