As with much of Vancouver, the Canadian Pacific Railway had a huge influence on the shaping of Yaletown. By the 1880s, the line had reached Yale, a then-large town and the former centre of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush 150 or so miles (240 km) to the east which served as the location of the company repair shops, and housed a sizeable rail worker population. As the line was extended to Vancouver, these Yale residents followed it to the city, and settled in modest housing close to the yards which was soon dubbed Yaletown.[citation needed]
As the years progressed, the proximity of False Creek and the railway meant that Yaletown became heavily industrial. Many factories, rail buildings and warehouses were built, many of which survive to this day.
After the real-estate boom and bust cycles of the 20th century, the area became shoddy and contaminated, and was bought up by the city. After the 1986 World's Fair (Expo 86), held on neighbouring former-industrial land, the whole area became ripe for development. The site was sold to a Hong Kong-based developer Li Ka-Shing, setting in motion the redevelopment process which continues to this day.
From the start, the city planners imposed strict guidelines on the development, in particular requiring a substantial amount of development of the public realm, and sensitive preservation of existing heritage stock. Thus there are generous areas set aside for parks, waterfront access, community centres, and schools. Along the shore of False Creek, the Stanley Park Seawall linear park has been continued through the area, forming its southern boundary.
