Granville Island
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Why go
- Fresh produce, seafood, cheeses and baked goods at the Public Market, with many goods sourced locally.
- OSGEMEOS’ “Giants” murals on the concrete silos, begun in 2014.
- Outdoor eating beside the Public Market, overlooking downtown.
Opening hours
Today09:00 – 18:00Show all
Don't miss
- Theatres and shopping streetsExplore the shopping streets and theatre venues in the former industrial district.Granville Island
- Farmers’ marketBrowse the peninsula’s farmers’ market.Granville IslandWeekly
With kids
- The Public Market has a children’s market, and the peninsula also has a model railway museum.
Tips for your visit
- Combine a walk along the Vancouver seawall with a look at the peninsula’s marina.
- Walk along the seawall, or cycle or canoe around the island.
History
Musqueam and Squamish peoples used the area as a fishing place, and a village was established there. Its name was sən̓aʔqʷ in Hunʼqumiʼnum and Sen̓áḵw in Squamish. The island takes its name from Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, a British colonial minister. Artists, artisans, galleries and theatre companies moved into former industrial buildings as industry declined. A cement factory remains the peninsula’s only operating industrial business.
- 1858–59Captain George Henry Richards mapped a sandbank during a naval expedition aboard HMS Plumper.
- 1915A reclamation project filled the channel between two sandbanks to create the island. Alvin Kingston dredged most of the fill.
- 1923Nearly every lot held a factory, most built with corrugated tin.
- Second World WarWright’s Canadian Ropes became Canada’s largest maker of heavy-duty wire rope.
- 1950sIndustry on the peninsula began to decline.
Show all
- 1953–1956A fire gutted Wright’s Canadian Ropes factory in 1953. The company moved to south Vancouver in 1956.
- Mid-1960sThe island became a peninsula.
- 1972Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation took over management of the 14-hectare site.
- 1970sThe federal government acquired the area and invited restaurants, artisans, galleries and theatre companies to rent existing buildings.
- 1977The revitalized district opened with a waterfront promenade.
- 1979The year-round Public Market opened in a converted 50,000-square-foot building, allowing farmers and other food vendors to sell directly to consumers.
- 1984A brewery opened on the peninsula; its production is now mainly in Kelowna.
How to get there
- BoatPassenger ferries cross False Creek, connecting Granville Island with Downtown Vancouver, Yaletown, False Creek, the West End and Vanier Park.
- CarDrive via Granville Street and False Creek Bridge.
Shorts
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Vancouver’s Island for Foodies 😱Granville Island Public MarketI Am Sierra Red
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Take a tour of Granville Island's Public Market with Stacey McLachlanVancouver Magazine
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Foodie Tour on Granville Island, VancouverSuper, Natural British Columbia
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📍Granville Island, VancouverLISSANDNIKK DEOL
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📍Granville Island, Vancouver, BCShruti Vansia
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How to get to Granville IslandFoodieTownCA
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What we can do for 20$ in Granville island ?Vancouver Town
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A must visit spot in Vancouver! 📍Granville IslandFuel For The Sole
Interesting facts3
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1917
Ocean Concrete has been the island’s longest-established tenant since 1917.
Granville Island - Wikipedia -
The peninsula hosted the finale of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
Granville Island - Wikipedia -
The artificial island was first called Industrial Island, but Granville Island stuck as its name after the bridge overhead.
Granville Island - Wikipedia
Sources: Granville Island - Wikipedia · Vancouver/Kitsilano-Granville Island - Wikivoya… · Vancouver Boutique Hotel | Granville Island Hot… · About Granville Island Hotel | Boutique Hotel i… · Granville Island - Wikipedia · Granville Island - Wikipedia · checked 27 Sep 2026
Plan from here: Evening walk →
Questions and answers
Does the historic streetcar still run on Granville Island?
No. The Vancouver Downtown Historic Railway once connected the peninsula with Science World, but the streetcar is permanently shut down.
Is Granville Island an island?
It is now a peninsula; it became one in the mid-1960s.
Was Granville once Vancouver’s name?
Yes. Vancouver was called Granville before being renamed in 1886. The name honours Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, a British colonial minister.
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