At the great DHC-2 website of Neil Aird the location is quoted as Vancouver Coal Harbour. Photo by Kenneth I. Swartz

Airwest Airlines of Vancouver imported this Cessna 180J, C-FAWH, in 1984 for charter services. It's seen here at the Airwest's old wooden dock in the Coal Harbour area of Vancouver Harbour. In the 1980s, C-FAWH was privately-owned and based in Prince George, BC until exported to the USA in November 1986.

Cessna A185F, C-FCDD, is photographed shortly after landing in Vancouver Harbour on April 5, 1977. Airspan Flight Charter Ltd. operated DHC-2 Beavers (C-GASF, CF-CDT, CF-GCY) and Cessna seaplanes between 1974-1978 in the Vancouver area from bases at YVR and a dock on Commissioner Street at the east end of Vancouver harbour. This Cessna was operated by W.B. Management Ltd. of Burnaby, BC between October 1980 and February 1998, when it was cancelled from the Canadian civil aircraft register. The Airspan name was then adapted by new helicopter company established in BC the early 1980s.

DHC-2 Beaver CF-OSP has been flying on the west coast of British Columbia since at least 1970 when it was first registered to West Coast Air Services Ltd. (WCAS) at CYVR. In the early years it primarily flew charters to in support of the coastal logging industry and coastal communities. WCAS repainted C-FOSP in this attractive colour scheme between June 1975 and July 1976. In was photographed at the West Coast Air dock in Vancouver Harbour shortly before WCAS was merged into AirBC. It rejoined the Harbour Air fleet in January 2019 after six years with Inland Air Charter in Prince Rupert, BC.

AirWest took delivery of three yellow-painted Turbo Beavers on wheels in late 1977 that had recently been retired by Province of Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources (C-FOEM, C-FOEX and C-FOEY). The aircraft were outfitted with floats and repainted in AirWest colours in 1978 for use on charter and scheduled flights from Vancouver Airport and Harbour. C-FOEX was photographed at the AirWest seaplane dock in the Coal Harbour area of Vancouver Harbour in March 1979. C-FOEX was delivered new in 1967. In 2022, it was flying with Kabeelo Airways Ltd., Ear Falls, ON.

Tyee Airways Ltd. acquired this Cessna 180 seaplane CF-UFD, new from Vancouver Cessna dealer Staron Flights Ltd. on March 17, 1966 and operated it through November 1977 when it was sold to K.D. Brodacki in Edmonton, Alberta. It was photographed at the Tyee dock at the Bayshore Inn at the foot of Cardero Street in Vancouver. Tyee Airways was owned by Al Campbell and based in Porpoise Bay in Sechelt, BC, which is about 50 km northwest of Vancouver on the Sunshine Coast. Tyee utilized the public seaplane dock in Sechelt and had a maintenance base on East Sechelt Road. Exported to USA, April 1982.

Twin Otter C-GHAP was registered to Regent Aircraft Services Inc. in Calgary in February 2022 and to Harbour Air on May 13, 2022. It usually flies the airline's downtown-to-downtown route between Vancouver and Victoria Harbour.

VIH Helicopters Sikorsky S-61N Short, C-GOJN was contracted to airlift new signs to the top of the Canadian Western Bank building located at 1070 West Georgia in downtown Vancouver on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. The signage was airlifted from the heliport at HMCS Discovery, a local naval base on an Island adjacent to Stanley Park. This S-61N was delivered new to Greenland Air as OY-HBK in 1975. Later flown by Resorts Int'l and Trump Air (N222RA), Canadian Helic. (C-FSYH), Carson (fuselage shortened), and EP Aviation (N612RM) flying for US State Dept. overseas. VIH imported it in Jan 2019.

Harbour Air Cessna Grand Caravan, C-GHAN, arriving in Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre dock for passengers to clear Canadian customs. The aircraft was operating trans-border flight #1612 from Lake Union (W55) is Seattle, Washington. This 55 minute downtown-to-downtown service was suspended for about two years as a result of Covid-19 flight but resumed in the summer. Many of the passengers work in the tech sector in Seattle or Vancouver. Harbour Air imported the aircraft to Canada in late March 2022.

Of Harbour Air's fleet of 14 Beavers and 22 Otters, only one of each type are adorned in this eye-catching Canada sesquicentennial colour scheme, applied in 2017. This is an early DHC-2 frame, of 1949 vintage.

First delivered to the US Army's Arctic Test Center at Fort Greely, AK as U-1A 58-1720 in 1959, this Otter was civilianised as N41755 in 1974 and converted by Aeroflite to Vazar turbine standard at Vancouver for Harbour Air over winter 2005/06.

Another subdivision of Harbour Air is Saltspring Air, specialising in serving Salt Spring Island, BC and the other Gal Islands in BC. This Otter is notable in that it has maintained the same registration ever since first being delivered to McMurray Air Service, Uranium City, SK in 1959.

The Whistler Air division of Harbour Air provides services to Whistler, BC and sightseeing over the Coastal Mountains, Garibaldi Provincial Park and Pemberton Ice Cap. First delivered to the US Army as U-1A 59-2224 in 1960, it was badly damaged on take off in Vietnam in 1969. In 1973 the wreck was sold for a mere $272, being rebuilt and sold to Kodiak Western Airlines. In 1986 it met with another serious accident while operated by Bering Air in Alaska. Rebuild and turbine conversion didn't happen till 1999, when it joined Whistler. Winter 2002/03 even saw a period of operations in Antarctica.

Painted in a smart new colour scheme, at rest on its Coal Harbour berth between services. Gulf Island's primary destination is Gabriola Island, BC. This is a 1958 Beaver which started out as US Army L-20A 57-2562

What a delightful scene, viewed from the harbour promenade.

Enjoyed a great sightseeing ride on this Otter the day before the photo. It was first delivered to the RCAF in 1960 as 9402 and was eventually turbine-modified at Harbour Air's Vancouver airport facility over winter 2002/03, at which time their standard panoramic window conversion was also carried out. Between the yellow-trimmed Harbour Air scheme applied at that time and the current blue/yellow livery, it operated for a period in special Royal Roads University colours.

Gulf Island's Beaver C-FOCN moving out for departure as Seair's C-FZZJ arrives

Beaver vs speedboat! Began life as US Army L-20A 58-2025 in 1959

The view as we begin our sightseeing flight aboard Otter C-FHAA, with the Vancouver cruise liner terminal behind. The Beavers are C-FWAC, C-FEBE and C-FFHA, the Caravan C-GIGO