It was the decade of Greenpeace, when a ragtag group of Vancouverites banded together to launch a worldwide environmental movement.
It was the decade of street protests, when Vancouverites raised placards against the war in Vietnam, old-growth logging, nuclear testing, fluoride in drinking water and in support of workers’ rights, affordable housing, gender equality, aboriginal land claims and legalized marijuana.
It was the decade of the Gastown Riot and the Battle of Jericho but also the debut of VanDusen Garden, The Naam restaurant, the NHL debut of the Vancouver Canucks and Fox and Fluevog’s funky footwear.
It was the decade that, indisputably, brought a seismic political, economic and cultural shift that would transform the picturesque one-time hardscrabble harbour town into a vibrant modern metropolis that would ultimately become an international model of urban density, green initiatives and ethnic diversity.
![Book jacket for Vancouver in the Seventies, by Kate Bird with introduction by Shelley Fralic. [PNG Merlin Archive]](http://wpmedia.vancouversun.com/2016/10/book-jacket-for-vancouver-in-the-seventies-by-kate-bird-wit.jpeg?w=269&h=300)
It was the 1970s, the decade that changed Vancouver forever.
The metamorphosis of Vancouver during those 10 years is told in glorious photographic detail in a new book by former Vancouver Sun librarian Kate Bird.
Vancouver in the Seventies: Photos From a Decade That Changed The City features 149 exclusive black and white photographs chosen from The Sun’s photograph collection, which encompass more than a century of publishing.
From Muhammad Ali pummelling George Chuvalo to five-year-old Justin Trudeau holding his mother’s hand, from Dave Barrett’s high-spirited election as premier to devastating Fraser Valley flooding, the 160-page hardcover is a visual trip down memory lane for history buffs, longtime Vancouverites and newcomers to the city.
Published this month by Greystone Books, Vancouver in the Seventies also includes Bird’s essay on newspaper photojournalism, along with essays by author Douglas Coupland and former Sun columnist Shelley Fralic, all celebrating the pivotal moments in a decade that changed Vancouver forever.
BOOK LAUNCH: The official book launch for Vancouver in the Seventies: Photos From a Decade That Changed The City, is Friday, Oct. 14 at the Fox Cabaret, 2321 Main St. in Vancouver, from 7 p.m., and is open to the public. Dig out your bell bottoms and join us in celebrating all things 1970s.
MUSEUM EXHIBITION: In conjunction with the publication of the book, the Museum of Vancouver, located at 1100 Chestnut St., is mounting a Vancouver in the Seventies exhibition, running from Oct. 13 to Feb. 26, 2017.
SPEAKERS SERIES: Join us at the Museum of Vancouver for a series of talks during the exhibit related to the exhibition by current and former Vancouver Sun journalists including Kate Bird, Stephen Hume, Kevin Griffin and John Mackie.
Oct. 20: The book’s author Kate Bird presents a public talk at 7 p.m. about the exhibition and how the 1970s changed the city.
Related
Vancouver Canucks player Pat Quinn with harness horse at Exhibition Park racecourse. August 25, 1970.
Jim Young night at a BC Lions game. Receiver Jim “dirty Thirty” Young played one of his final games before retiring after twelve seasons with the B.C. Lions. September 29, 1979.
A young boy in front of the House of Torture on the Playland midway at the PNE. August 20, 1973.
An old home on Pacific Street near Thurlow with high-rise apartment building behind. December 28, 1979.
