1. O Canada Horn (Things I’d Miss About Vancouver If I Moved Away)
I’m currently on vacation in Europe and this month also marks my seventh year in Vancouver. To celebrate, I’m highlighting a few things I’d miss about Vancouver if I moved away:
The O Canada Horn is one of those things that’s uniquely Vancouver.
Everyday at noon, The horn blares out the first four notes of O Canada (the Canadian national anthem) loud enough to be heard all over the downtown area.
From the West End to Gastown no one misses noon time in Vancouver.
It’s always comforting to hear that sound when I’ve been out of the city for a while, and I’m sure it’s a welcoming sound to visitors too
The horns sit atop of Canada Place (on top of the Pan Pacific hotel), with sets facing different directions.
Called the ‘Heritage Horns’, history has it that the horns were designed by steam engineer Bob Swanson for the BC Hydro Canadian Centennial project in 1967, and blared for years from on top of the old BC Hydro Building. It moved to Canada Place when the BC Hydro building was converted into condos.
The O Canada horn at lunchtime is a charming Vancouver soundmark that I’ll miss if I ever moved away.
