Vancouver's Point Grey is one of the most prominent geological features of the city.
Sticking out further west than anything between North Vancouver and the U.S. border, the green forest of Pacific Spirit Park and UBC's towers are a landmark for anyone out in the Salish Sea.
At the same time, West Point Grey is the name of the community that sits on it between UBC and Kitsilano; while it's not the most prominent neighbourhood now, it's been an important part of the city's development.
So here are a few things about Point Grey and West Point Grey.
1. It has had other names
The local Musqueam name for the headlands now known as Point Grey is ʔəlqsən, in the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language (halkomelem).
For a short period of time, when the Spanish Empire was operating in the area, it was named Punta de Langara, which was named after Juan de Langara, the leader of the Spanish navy.
For the record, Point Grey is named after Sir George Grey, a British naval leader.
It doesn't appear Grey or Langara ever made it to the Vancouver region.
2. It was its own city
While West Point Grey is now a neighbourhood of Vancouver, it had independence for a while.
Splitting from South Vancouver in 1908, it only lasted a couple of decades before amalgamating with the City of Vancouver in 1929 (along with South Vancouver).
3. First zoning bylaw in Canada
In what may be considered a dull but fitting first, Point Grey (while it was an independent city) created Canada's first zoning bylaw (which regulates what may be built somewhere in a city).
"The bylaw prevented development of anything but homes and their related outbuildings," reads the City of Vancouver's website.
That would halt new projects, including commercial buildings, industrial yards, or apartments.
4. Point Grey's big guns
As it stuck out in the Salish Sea and Vancouver was (and still is) Canada's major port on the Pacific, during the Second World War, Point Grey was determined to be an ideal spot for some big guns.
The two gun towers housed large guns, massive searchlights, and crews to man them.
However, not a shot was ever fired from Point Grey.
People still visit the abandoned towers on a regular basis, though they've been left to the elements for decades.
5. It's getting smaller
Simply put, Point Grey is falling into the ocean.
It's been an issue for almost 100 years; one notable incident in 1935 saw a washout that required Marine Drive to be realigned. One academic paper notes Marine Drive has been moved a few times due to erosion.
A few years ago it was determined the the cliffs and the beaches are receding by about 30 cm/year.
There are ongoing efforts to stop the loss.
