Vancouver time travel made easy

Breathe deep and get ready to step back in time.

This May 7th, 1907 video gives a glimpse into Vancouver lives of the past. A camera was attached to the front of a trolley as it rode through town.

Imagine walking down the streets of modern Vancouver with this video in mind. Imagine the people of the past walking alongside you.

Notice the horse-drawn carriages, bicycles and occassional dogs running through the street.

This is a time before automobiles, before television, cable, the Internet, iPods and YouTube, when the biggest technologies of the time were trains, telephones and trolleys.

Nifty, eh?

Let's look at the streets 100 years later.

Here's a picture of Robson Street taken July, 2007 by me from a tourist bus. Robson Street is one of the popular Vancouver shopping areas. See the Bebe store, the fancy modern clothing, the BMW's and other cars on the streets.

This was my view from the top of a double decker Big Bus, one of the tourist bus lines that takes Vancouver visitors to the better parts of the city.

Georgia Street in Vancouver is packed with cars and lined with modern apartment buildings.

I happened to spot a Centennial Edition Harley parked on Granville Island in Vancouver.

It had the 1903-2003 emblem, a reminder of what has really changed in 100 years and what has stayed the same.