Though English Bay's scenic views once included the , the skyline also featured a lesser known part of Vancouver's history.
Up until the 1950s, the West End beach boasted two piers.
The first pier was built in late 1907 and was made entirely out of wood. The pier gradually deteriorated and was eventually torn down in 1939. The remaining stubs were demolished in 1941.
The second pier began as a two-storey tearoom and confectionery, situated entirely on land, which was built in 1923. Two years later, in 1925, the owner, Llewellyn G. Thomas, built a 50-foot extension to accommodate a Winter Garden dance hall. The following year he added a pier which extended 337 feet into the bay.
In 1938, the Winter Garden became a roller skating rink. However, the rink lasted for only two years.
Between 1943 and 1949, the second pier was used to barrack the Navy League Sea Cadets. Later on, Theatre Under the Stars, which puts on summer musicals in Stanley Park, repurposed the pier as an office and rehearsal space.
By 1958, the second pier was gone as well.
Though it may be difficult to spot from the shore, the piers' foundation can still be seen in a satellite image.
