When the first Spanish explorers landed off the shores of Point Grey, they discovered a land occupied by a native population that had flourished for hundreds of generations.

The Musqueam people lived round the mouth of the Fraser River and along the shores of Burrard Inlet and English Bay. The Squamish, whose main villages were beside the Squamish and Cheakamus rivers above the head of Howe Sound, also inhabited Burrard Inlet and English Bay. Most Squamish camps were used only in summer, but some were substantial and may have been populated year-round. There was much interaction and marriage between the two nations.

Kitsilano is named for Chief Khatsahlanough, a leader of one of the Squamish First Nations Bands that originally inhabited the area around Kits Point and the Maritime Museum. But his name is Musqueam.

The story goes that the Squamish Chief had an audience with the Queen, and for official purposes, required a name. But the Squamish did not issue names. So the Chief went to the Musqueum Band that occupied the area south, along the mouth of the Fraser River. He was so named Khatsahlanough, meaning “man of the lake” by the Musqueam elders.

By the late 1800’s, Kitsilano’s now famous beach, known as Greer’s Beach after the Irish settler who laid claim to the area, was a popular summer destination for residents of Vancouver. The First Nations summer settlement had become a newly designated reserve called Khahtsalano, after one of its most famous leaders. By the early 1900’s, Greer had been removed from the land by the CPR and Kits had become a suburb of the expanding city, with a streetcar line running along West 4th Avenue and to the beach. In 1905, the year the community was incorporated, the spelling was changed to Kitsilano by the CPR.

Kits’ now hip and happening personality started in the 1960’s. University students and hippies loved the cheap rents and character of the old homes. West 4th Avenue quickly became Canada’s “coolest” street. Nick-named Rainbow Road, West 4th Avenue was home to vegetarian restaurants, alternative music, health food stores and head shops.

Much has changed since then, while much has remained the same. The heart of Kits is still West 4th Avenue. The tie-dyed clothing stores of the 60’s are gone, but the street is lined with over 300 shops and restaurants. Most are one-of-a-kind, and reflect the tastes and sensibilities of caring, committed local owners.

Kitsilano is a treasure that you can relax in and explore. And while the locals may shop here, it’s also a place for visitors to escape from the usual tourist destinations and big chain stores.