Canadian Pacific The Expression of a Nation’s Character [Hotel Vancouver]

Promotional brochure for the Hotel Vancouver issued shortly after it opened.

Though construction began as early as 1929, the iconic Hotel Vancouver (still in operation today) wasn’t completed until 1939 due to difficulties encountered during the Great Depression. The luxurious accommodations were part of the vast corporate network of the Canadian Pacific Railway – “The World’s Greatest Travel System.” In addition to hotels and railroads, subsidiary organizations included steamship lines, real estate, telegraph communications, and international banking.

This promotional brochure was issued to guests of the Hotel Vancouver shortly after it opened for business in 1939. Several floor plans and hotel details are accompanied by a photograph of downtown Vancouver, a bird’s eye view of regional transportation routes, contact information for Canadian Pacific agents, and numerous advertisements for the firm.

Of particular interest is the tissue guard promoting the Transatlantic cruises of the Empress of Britain. The ship’s maiden voyage was in 1931 and it operated as the largest, fastest, and most luxurious ship in the Canadian Pacific fleet until she was converted to a troopship at the outbreak of WWII. Tragically, on the evening of October 28, 1940, the Empress of Britain was torpedoed by a U-boat, becoming the largest ship to be sunk by such means during the war.

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