Oak Street (Vancouver)

Oak Street is a street in Vancouver. It runs from 6th Avenue in the north end to Oak Street Bridge in the south end. It is 8.4 km long. It is one of the main streets in Vancouver.

Canadian Pacific Railway land commissioner and Vancouver city councillor L.A. Hamilton named it Oak Street because of the many trees in the area at the time of construction. He also named many other streets after trees.

Oak Street is home to a large Jewish community. From the end of World War I until the 1970s, the Jewish community only continued to grow, with it increasing heavily after the end of World War II. On January 25, 1948, the Schara Tzedeck moved to Oak Street. It is Vancouver's first synagogue and is the oldest synagogue in the city. When housing costs continued to rise, many Jews decided to leave in search of more affordable housing. At the same time, the street saw an increase of Chinese residents.

Many hospitals are featured on Oak Street. On the street are the Vancouver General Hospital, British Columbia Children's Hospital, and B.C. Women's Hospital & Health Centre. Oak Street is also home to the VanDusen Botanical Garden.

The Oak Street Bridge is connected to Oak Street in the south end. It was officially opened on June 29, 1957. It runs over the north arm of the Fraser River, connecting Vancouver and Richmond. Some of Oak Street is also part of Highway 99. The street runs through the neighbourhoods of Shaughnessy, South Cambie, Oakridge, and Marpole.

References

Category:Streets in Vancouver