Gastown Steam Clock

The Gastown Steam Clock is a cast-iron tower with four glass-enclosed clock faces that releases white vapor from its top on the hour. Built in nineteen seventy-seven by horologist Raymond Saunders and metalworker Doug Smith, the clock stands at the corner of Water and Cambie Streets. While it mimics nineteenth-century aesthetics, its construction was a modern project intended to revitalize the surrounding district and mask an unsightly steam vent that served Vancouver’s downtown heating network.