“Did you bring your jacket?” That’s a question you might hear before entering The Vancouver Club. The Vancouver Club has a smart casual dress code. It prefers a jacket and tie. We are standing before a building with a fascinating past. The Vancouver Club began in 1889. It stands as Vancouver’s first private club.
The Vancouver Club has evolved over more than 130 years. It attracts Vancouver’s leading minds. It connects them through membership programs. Impeccable service is its hallmark. It has a rich shared legacy.
Initially, The Vancouver Club was exclusively for gentlemen. In 1993, it embraced inclusivity. It became a mixed-sex club. For much of its history, The Vancouver Club catered to the city’s old money. This was unlike the Terminal City Club. The Terminal City Club had more open membership policies.
Like many traditional gentlemen’s clubs, The Vancouver Club faced challenges. It needed to attract younger members after the 1960s. Besides becoming mixed-sex, it adapted. The Vancouver Club abandoned most of its Victorian customs. It became a more informal, business-oriented institution.
The Vancouver Club has occupied its present quarters since 1914. Sharp and Thompson designed the clubhouse. It sits on Hastings Street in the financial district. It is now a designated heritage building. The Vancouver Club resembles a British townhouse. Its design draws inspiration from 17th and 18th-century English classicism. It has a symmetrical appearance. Its proportions are harmonious. The Vancouver Club features Palladian-style attic windows. The ornamentation is in the classical manner.
The origin of The Vancouver Club dates back to 1890. Vancouverites decided the city needed a gentlemen’s club. Victoria had the Union Club of British Columbia. Vancouver lacked a similar institution. Vancouver needed a place to entertain officers from the Royal Navy.
The Vancouver Club Company Limited was formed in 1891. Its initial capital was $50,000. Charles Osborne Wickenden designed the first clubhouse. The first directors included J. C. Keith and David Oppenheimer. Construction began in early 1892.
The Vancouver Club opened in the spring of 1894. It featured a billiards room and bowling alley in the basement. The main floor had a reception room, wine room, and reading room. The second floor housed card rooms and dining rooms. Staff and member bedrooms were on the third floor.
In 1903, The Vancouver Club expanded. It constructed a ballroom and pavilion. By 1910, resident members neared the constitutional limit of 350. A new clubhouse construction was approved in 1911.
On New Year’s Eve 1913, members gathered. They had a farewell banquet in the old clubhouse. At midnight, they paraded to the new quarters. The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada later rented the old premises.
The Vancouver Club held subscription dinners. This marked the start of prohibition in British Columbia. The Prince of Wales dined at the club in 1919.
Until the 1970s, The Vancouver Club’s members were mainly of English origin. They were members of the Anglican Church of Canada. As Vancouver’s demographics changed, the club loosened its policies. It began admitting non-Anglo-Saxons.
In 1986, The Vancouver Club absorbed the University Club of Vancouver. In 2000, it absorbed the Georgian Club. The Vancouver Club continues to evolve. It offers modern amenities. These include a fitness center, wine boutique, and meeting rooms. It balances its heritage with contemporary needs. The Vancouver Club stands as a testament to Vancouver’s social and business elite. It connects the city’s past and future.