In the 1960s Vancouver embarked on a number of civic improvements including its street furniture and one of the items was this forlorn looking object seen here in this 1978 photo.

What is it? It’s a newspaper kiosk for that long lost profession of the corner newspaper vendor. When papers published more than one edition a day the newspaper box we see everywhere today was just too inefficient for distribution. The kiosk was designed to hold papers and provide minimal shelter from the elements for the paper seller. These kiosks with their vendors were once a common site throughout the downtown core. This one was at the corner of Davie and Granville.