Bit of a strange question..
 

I asked a friend a random question the other day. He didn't know the answer but pointed me here, to this forum. So here you go, random geographical question that I'm very curious about.

So I found a drawn picture of Vancouver from 1898, where what is now the rail yards east of science world was a fairly large expanse of what I assume was water/mud. And 1st ave used to be a waterfront street. And of course on the present day map, we have the skytrain and a rail line running through a shallow canyon that leads right to where this body of water would have been.

My question is, is that corridor natural, as in, the result of a stream? Or is it man made?

Are you talking about False creek flats? If so, then I believe that area was regularly flooded and sat on a flood plain. So, that would make it reclaimed land.

The Grandview Cut, I believe you're talking about. It was man made. It was around in the 1950s at least (probably long before that). There's a rail line at the bottom of it and I assume that's what it was dug for. That was probably an industrial line to serve the the rail yard on the flats or possibly for the inter-urban which I believe ran a similar corridor. I think the construction of the Expo Skytrain line widened it because I know there was a "healing the cut" project in the early 90s to cover up the ugly cut away earth.

The streams through that area were actually a bit further south; China Creek drained numerous little creeks plus Trout Lake and hit False Creek right at current day China Creek Park.

Here's a zoomable map of the lost streams: http://hss.library.ubc.ca/gis-services/oldstreams/

Interesting tidbit: when the Grandview cut was dug, they exposed an old creek that had been burried and the cut filled in with a decent amount of water. That whole area there is a fairly damp depression, which is what fills Trout Lake. At the bottom of the cut, there was even enough water that it was decently stocked with fish.

Feel free to ask me for more info.

I believe that's also where a freeway would have gone if it had been built.

The Grandview Cut was dug out around 1913 to increase rail access and the earth used to fill in the tidal flats at eastern end of False Creek.

Would be interesting to see how Vancouver would have looked like had that area not been filled (and dredged).

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/...1cbf13e5_z.jpg
Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhiannoncoppin/6466548451/

Oh no! There would have been more waterfront property and therefore higher housing prices! Glad it was filled in! </sarcasm> Yes, I know it would be mostly mudfront property.

Wow that was fantastic info, thanks!