Overlooking Heather Marina and nestled between Mahony’s and Branas, The Wicklow is a small but historically significant neighbourhood pub. Called Stamp’s Landing Pub when it opened in July 1979, it was one of the first neighbourhood pubs in Vancouver and has been a lively meeting place ever since!
Facing west with magnificent sunset views down False Creek towards the Granville and Burrard Bridges, Stamp’s deck was constantly packed with enthusiastic and appreciative crowds.
The location by Heather Marina made Stamp’s immediately popular with the local boaters. It became the home of SLYC, Stamp’s Landing Yacht Club. Members would meet on Thursday evenings and many a rendez-vous was planned for the Gulf Islands on weekends. Photos of the participating yachts adorned the wooden-planked walls of the pub’s original interior.
Yachting was not the only interest of those who frequented Stamp’s. Over the last forty years, there have been many teams: softball, darts, soccer and dragon boating. Stamp’s even sponsored a running club, which organized an annual 10K run, popularly known as the Stamp’s Pendelakon. Initiated in 1984, the run followed a course along the seawall from Stamp’s Landing to Kits Swimming Pool and back. Awards and libations were enjoyed afterwards at the pub. Everyone was welcome!
Soccer enthusiasts from Stamp’s took their interest one step further! In 1989, the Stamp’s Landing “Seagulls” Soccer Team was informed by the Lufthansa “Bomberg Bombers” that their Vancouver office was being moved to Berlin, so they could no longer play their traditional annual match. The Stamp’s team sprang into action and with the help of the fun-loving pilot who had created and managed the German team, they actually flew to Berlin to play the game!
Of other remarkable events, legend has it that one winter, Stamp’s pub ski trips were such a success that nobody dared arrange equivalent outings the following year! Little detail is known, or has been retold, or remembered of these excursions…
As the years passed in our South False Creek neighbourhood, Stamps became a magnet drawing Vancouverites from all walks of life to the “Landing”, and a loyal group of patrons emerged who have steadfastly remained to this very day. It was a pleasure to hear them reminisce about those days of old, and to write this article compiling some of their memories of the early times.
Those were the days my friends…
By Lynn Sherman (Pacific Cove) & Jennifer Petersen (San Remo)