Gastown Steam Clock - Whistles on the Hour

A stop on Vancouver Cruise Day Walk, a free self-guided tour.

Gather on the corner of Water and Cambie Streets, and wait for the quarter hour. That's when this clock lets off a toot from its whistles, playing the same chime as Big Ben, and on the hour it puffs clouds of steam.

It looks Victorian, but clockmaker Raymond Saunders built it in 1977. It sits over a grate in the city's underground steam heating network, and it was designed both to use that steam and to cover a vent that sent clouds across the sidewalk. Local merchants and donors paid for it.

Steam really does drive the whistles. But the original steam engine was noisy and kept poor time, so since 1986 an electric motor has helped run the clock. It was taken away for a full overhaul in 2014 and returned the following January.

Around you is Gastown, Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood, now full of shops and restaurants in restored brick buildings.

Getting here: From Waterfront Station, walk east along Water Street, about 4 minutes, to the clock at the corner of Cambie Street.

Did you know?: The steam clock cost an estimated 58,000 dollars in 1977, paid for by Gastown merchants, property owners and private donors.

Photo op: Stand a few steps down Water Street and wait for the hourly burst of steam with the clock's glass sides lit.

Nearby: Cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops line Water Street.

More on Wikipedia: Steam clock · Gastown · Raymond Saunders

Gastown Steam Clock - Whistles on the Hour

Stops on this tour