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False Creek between Granville Street Bridge and Burrard Street Bridge

False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, separating the central business district from the rest of the city. It was named by George Henry Richards during his Hydrographic survey of 1856-63. Science World is located at its eastern end and the Burrard Street Bridge crosses its western end. False Creek is also spanned by the Granville Street and Cambie Street bridges.

During World War I, the easternmost part of False Creek, which formerly ran to Clark Drive, was filled in by the Great Northern Railway and Canadian Northern Pacific Railway to create new land for their yards and terminals.^[1] Talk of draining and filling the inlet to Granville Street continued into the 1950s, but that never occurred.

False Creek was the industrial heartland of Vancouver through to the 1950s. It was home to many sawmills and small port operations, as well as the western terminus of the major Canadian railways.

As industry shifted to other areas, the vicinity around False Creek started to deteriorate. However, the area began to experience rejuvenation starting in the 1970s, with the first changes taking place on Granville Island. Large areas of mixed-income housing, including co-op housing, on the south shore have also been developed.

False Creek was further transformed in the 1980s, as it took centre stage during Expo 86. Since then, most of the north shore has become a new neighbourhood of very dense housing, adding about 50,000 new residents to Vancouver's downtown peninsula.

False Creek is home to the major sporting venues in Vancouver, including GM Place (home to the Vancouver Canucks) and BC Place (home to the BC Lions). It was also the location of the Molson Indy Vancouver Champ Car race. That event, however, was discontinued following the 2004 season, as the series scheduled a race in Edmonton for the 2005 season. Also, the southeastern portion of the False Creek area is currently being renovated in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Every June, the Dragon Boat Festival is held on False Creek.

Panorama of False Creek, showing BC Place, Plaza of Nations, and Science World with downtown in the background.

1. ^ Catherine Gourley, False Creek

• Tide predictions for False Creek

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Neighbourhoods in Vancouver, British Columbia

Main neighbourhoods: Arbutus Ridge • Downtown • Downtown Eastside • Dunbar-Southlands • Fairview • Grandview-Woodland • Hastings-Sunrise • Kensington-Cedar Cottage • Kerrisdale • Killarney • Kitsilano • Marpole • Mount Pleasant • Oakridge • Renfrew-Collingwood • Riley Park-Little Mountain • Shaughnessy • South Cambie • Strathcona • Sunset • Victoria-Fraserview • West End • West Point Grey Other areas: Champlain Heights • Chinatown • Coal Harbour • Commercial Drive • Davie Village • East Vancouver • False Creek • Gastown • Granville Island • Granville Mall • Greektown • Hogan's Alley • Japantown • Koreatown • Little Italy • Punjabi Market • Robson Street • South Granville Rise • South Main • Stanley Park • University Endowment Lands • Victory Square • Yaletown

Coordinates: 49.2694° N 123.1238° W