OPPENHEIMER LAID THE CITY’S FOUNDATION
David Oppenheimer stepped down as Vancouver’s mayor in 1891. But 126 years later, you can still see his legacy.
As the city’s second mayor from 1888-91, he was instrumental in the creation of Stanley Park, as well as the construction of much of the city’s infrastructure, from streets to sewers to streetcars.
Oppenheimer was one of the founders of B.C. Electric, which became B.C. Hydro. His Vancouver Improvement Company once owned and developed much of east Vancouver. Bryan Adams’ Warehouse recording studio is in the old Oppenheimer Brothers warehouse at Columbia and Powell streets in Gastown.
Oppenheimer didn’t receive any money as mayor, but many of his firms did business with the city. His rival, William Templeton, decried this as a conflict of interest, and unsuccessfully ran against Oppenheimer for mayor in 1890.
Templeton did win the mayoralty in 1897, and his administration changed what had been Oppenheimer Street to East Cordova.
David was one of five Oppenheimer brothers (David, Charles, Meyer, Isaac and Godfrey) who grew up in Blieskastel, Germany, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1848.
Oppenheimer’s first stop was New Orleans, followed by California, where the Oppenheimer brothers sold mining equipment during the California Gold Rush. When gold was discovered along the Fraser River in 1858, Charles moved north, followed by his brothers.
The company initially set up shop in Victoria, then expanded to Yale, Barkerville, Lytton, Hope and Fisherville, a long-dead town near Cranbrook. David started acquiring land in what would become Vancouver in 1878.
In 1884, he was among the businessmen who successfully lobbied the B.C. government to move the Canadian Pacific Railway terminus
(Oppenheimer) was instrumental in the creation of Stanley Park, as well as the construction of much of the city’s infrastructure.
to Coal Harbour instead of Port Moody, and his land was suddenly worth a fortune. So he moved to Granville (the future Vancouver) in 1885 and set up shop.
David and Isaac were aldermen in Vancouver’s first council in 1886, and in 1888, David became mayor. He was elected to four consecutive one-year terms before retiring from public office due to failing health. Oppenheimer died of a heart attack on New Year’s Eve 1897, a day before he would have turned 64. His body lay in state at the Masonic Temple at Cambie and Cordova streets for a couple of days, then his coffin was shipped by rail to Brooklyn, N.Y., for burial.
Today, he is remembered in Oppenheimer Park in Japantown. There is also a David Oppenheimer memorial sculpture near the Beach Avenue entrance to Stanley Park.