August 2021
COMMUNITY NEWS
RenfrewCollingwoodCommunityNews.com
2400 Motel — Celebrating 75 years doing
business along Vancouver’s Kingsway by Bill Rheaume
The City of Vancouver Heritage Group’s 2007 study on the 2400 Motel describes its heritage value and significant features such as the white stucco bungalows closest to Kingsway, the landscaping that surrounds them and the iconic “2400” neon sign. The 2400 Motel speaks to car culture – the love affair with the automobile that swept North America during much of the 20th century. Built in 1946 when the car was king, it is simply the best example of the postwar Kingsway auto courts and testifies to the impact of the automobile on Vancouver and, more specifically, on the artery of Kingsway. The 2400 Motel is important for its historical, formal, aesthetic and cultural values, most particularly for being a prominent marker of the evolution of Kingsway following the Second World War. Its original name of 2400 Motor Court signaled the growing sophistication of accommodations. Auto camps were giving way to auto courts, which offered a common open space or “court” fronting furnished bungalows with kitchenettes. A large neon sign greeted travellers as they crested the hill to 2400 and viewed Vancouver in the distance. The 2400 is a marker of the coming-of-age of Kingsway as the northern terminus of the Photos courtesy of the 2400 Motel
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