The Gastown Steam Clock, located at Cambie and Water Streets in Vancouver’s historic Gastown, was built in 1977 by horologist Raymond Saunders and metalworker Doug Smith. Positioned atop a steam grate from the city’s downtown steam-heating system, it doubles as public art and an urban landmark.

Although the clock’s mechanical movement is now electric (upgraded in 1986 for reliability), its five whistles still use steam to play the Westminster Chimes every 15 minutes and emit a louder steam puff on the hour. The original visible piston engine remains behind glass, lending authenticity to its design.

It was funded by Gastown merchants, property owners, clubs, and private donors — costing about C$58,000 — as both a tribute to neighbourhood history and a creative way to cover a steam vent and deter people from sleeping on it.

One of the world’s few functioning steam clocks — with variants in Otaru (Japan), Indianapolis, Whistler, Port Coquitlam, St Helier (Jersey), and London — this clock captures a Victorian aesthetic despite being a late-20th-century creation.

Today it remains a beloved tourist magnet and local landmark. Every quarter-hour it draws crowds to hear the chime and watch the steamy performance, especially enchanting against the red-brick Victorian backdrop of Water Street.