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The Electra Building is a major structure in 
While BC Electric's offices were in the building ten large air horns on top of the structure played the first four notes of
Emporis facts about the Electra building
* ttps://theprovince.com/life/More+time+Electra+owners/3554120/story.html Article on the Electra spill in The Province, September 21, 2010{{coord, 49, 16, 51.85, N, 123, 7, 30.67, W, type:landmark_region:CA, display=title Buildings and structures in Vancouver Heritage buildings in Vancouver Residential condominiums in Canada Modernist architecture in Canada BC Hydro
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
.
History
The structure was built by John Laing & Sons in 1957 as the new headquarters for the BC Electric Company, under its president Dal Grauer. A few days after Grauer's death in 1961, it became part of a new provincial crown corporation namedBC Hydro
The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, operating as BC Hydro, is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia. It is the main electricity distributor, serving more than 4 million customers in most areas, with the excep ...
. The 21 story, 89 m (293 ft), building was designed by Charles Edward "Ned" Pratt. At the time it was claimed to be the tallest office building in the Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
, although this was not true. After BC Hydro moved to new offices in Vancouver and Burnaby in the late 1990s, the building was sold, and in 1998, was renovated and converted primarily into residential condo
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
space, although BC Hydro continues to operate the Dal Grauer Substation, whose space is integral with Electra.
While BC Electric's offices were in the building ten large air horns on top of the structure played the first four notes of O Canada
"O Canada" (french: Ô Canada, italic=no) is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the mus ...
at noon every day. The horns have since been moved to the Pan Pacific Vancouver roof. They are owned and managed by Canada Place
Canada Place is a building situated on the Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is home to the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel, the Vancouver World Trade Centre, and the virtual flight ride FlyOve ...
.
See also
*List of tallest buildings in Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has more high-rise buildings per capita than most North American metropolitan centres with populations exceeding 1,000,000. Vancouver's population density is the 4th-highest in North America and the city has ...
References
Sources
*External links
Emporis facts about the Electra building
* ttps://theprovince.com/life/More+time+Electra+owners/3554120/story.html Article on the Electra spill in The Province, September 21, 2010{{coord, 49, 16, 51.85, N, 123, 7, 30.67, W, type:landmark_region:CA, display=title Buildings and structures in Vancouver Heritage buildings in Vancouver Residential condominiums in Canada Modernist architecture in Canada BC Hydro