Give Me One Minute - and I’ll Give You Three Secrets About Malcolm MacLean
March 25th, 2008 Categories: Coal Harbour, Downtown, Vancouver Real Estate
Malcolm A. MacLean was the first elected mayor of Vancouver, founded Stanley Park and the Vancouver Real Estate Board.
Let’s recognize a famous Vancouverite!
Born in Scotland in 1844 he lived in Ontario, Winnipeg (before the CPR) and had a summer home in Saskatchewan. He died in 1895.
In 1885 Malcolm MacLean lost most of his wealth that he’d amassed in the real estate boom , in the post 1881 depression. He then settled in a coastal town known as Granville and got involved in the local political scene. Leading a successful petition to incorporate the town and change its name to Vancouver, he became the first elected mayor.
He then had to handle the Great Fire of 1886 that virtually wiped out the 1,000 or so wood buildings that made up Vancouver. The city was rebuilt, incorporating graded roads, bridges, sewers and sidewalks and then became the terminus for the CPR in 1887.
A year later MacLean was a charter signatory in the formation of Vancouver’s first Real Estate Board.
His biggest legacy is Stanley Park. In 1886 his first City Council drafted a petition asking that all of Coal Harbour Peninsula - known then as Government Reserve - be given to the City of Vancouver for Public Park.
Governor General Lord Stanley was on hand and the park was officially named in his honour and opened on September 27, 1888.
Incredible foresight from our first Mayor and real estate pioneer 112 years ago.
when you’re ready to buy or sell your vancouver condo, talk to maggie
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