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54-553: The main commercial area with shops and restaurants is along West 10th Avenue between Tolmie Street and Discovery Street. North of West 4th Avenue, the area slopes steeply downhill where it meets English Bay at Locarno Beach and the Spanish Banks . In 2016, West Point Grey had an estimated population of 13,065 of the total 631,485 residents in the City of Vancouver. Its population has remained relatively stable from 2011, when it

108-431: A British politician who had recently been appointed Governor General of Canada . It was originally known as Coal Peninsula and was set aside for military fortifications to guard the entrance to Vancouver harbour. In 1886, Vancouver City Council successfully sought a lease of the park which was granted for $ 1 per year. In September 1888, Lord Stanley opened the park in his name. Unlike other large urban parks, Stanley Park

162-473: A conversation with archivist Major Matthews , Andy Paull , whose family lived in the area, confirms the account given by Vancouver: As Vancouver came through the First Narrows , the [natives] in their canoes threw these feathers in great handfuls before him. They would of course rise in the air, drift along, and fall to the surface of the water, where they would rest for quite a time. It must have been

216-400: A lighthouse for Brockton Point around the same time. Before the causeway, a wooden footbridge provided the only access route into the park from Coal Harbour. Construction of the causeway (and new roads within the park for emergency access) was completed by 1926. In 1923, the saltwater pipes entering the lake from Coal Harbour were shut off, turning it into a freshwater lake. A lit fountain

270-511: A number of homes on lands he had claimed for the park. Some, who had built their homes less than twenty years earlier, would continue to live on the land for years. Most were evicted by the park board in 1931, but the last resident, Tim Cummings, lived at Brockton Point until his death in 1958. Sarah Avison, the daughter of the first park ranger, recalled when the city evicted the Chinese settlers at Anderson Point in 1889: The Park Board ordered

324-650: A pretty scene, and duly impressed Captain Vancouver, for he speaks most highly of the reception he was accorded. No significant contact with inhabitants in the area was recorded for decades, until around the time of the Crimean War (1853–1856). British admirals arranged with Chief Joe Capilano that if there were an invasion, the British would defend the south shore of Burrard Inlet and the Squamish would defend

378-405: A smaller island Deadman's Island (the correct name being Deadman Island) lying before it", suggesting that it was originally surrounded by water, at least at high tide. Vancouver also wrote about meeting the people living there: Here we were met by about fifty [natives] in canoes, who conducted themselves with great decorum and civility, presenting us with several fish cooked and undressed of

432-576: A sort resembling smelt. These good people, finding we were inclined to make some return for their hospitality, showed much understanding in preferring iron to copper. According to historians, the Indigenous peoples probably first saw Vancouver's ship from Chaythoos, a location in the future park that in today's terms lay just east of the Lions Gate Bridge (or First Narrows Bridge as it is sometimes called). Speaking about this event later in

486-532: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . English Bay (Vancouver) English Bay is an open bay northwest of the Burrard Peninsula in British Columbia , Canada, extending from the headland between Siwash Rock and Prospect Point on Vancouver 's Downtown peninsula in the northeast, to the northwestern tip of Point Grey in the southwest. The bay encompasses

540-583: Is a fireworks competition that is held for two weeks every summer (usually the last week in July and first week in August). While this competition often struggles to secure funding, it has successfully run since 1990 and is the largest off-shore fireworks display in the world. Each winter it is the host of Vancouvers' annual Polar Bear Swim and each summer the Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival

594-469: Is held on English Bay Beach. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, English Bay Beach was home to Vancouver's first official lifeguard , the legendary Joe Fortes , who taught hundreds of the city's early residents how to swim, and patrolled the beach from his cabin on its shore. Today, the waters of the bay are often dotted with hundreds of small pleasure boats, as well as huge freighters waiting at anchor to load cargoes at Vancouver's port . The beach

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648-404: Is not the creation of a landscape architect but rather the evolution of a forest and urban space over many years. Most of the manmade structures present in the park were built between 1911 and 1937 under the influence of then-superintendent W.S. Rawlings. Additional attractions, such as a polar bear exhibit, aquarium, and a miniature train , were added in the post–World War II period. Much of

702-589: The Burrard Inlet and Howe Sound regions, Squamish Nation had a large village in the park. From the lower Fraser River area, Musqueam Nation used its natural resources. Where Lumberman's Arch is now, there once was a large village called Whoi Whoi, or Xwayxway, roughly meaning place of masks . One longhouse , built from cedar poles and slabs, was measured at 61 metres (200 ft) long by 18 metres (60 ft) wide. These houses were occupied by large extended families living in different quadrants of

756-594: The Canadian Forces ' Army Primary Reserve units in British Columbia, previously had its headquarters in the northeastern section of the neighbourhood, which is home to Vancouver's largest youth hostel . According to ancient First Nations legend, Point Grey is the "Battleground of the West Wind". The rock representing the god of the West Wind, which is sitting off the point, is called Homolsom. As

810-542: The North Shore via the Lions Gate Bridge . The historic lighthouse on Brockton Point marks the park's easternmost point. While it is not the largest urban park , Stanley Park is about one-fifth larger than New York City's 340-hectare (840-acre) Central Park and almost half the size of London's 960-hectare (2,360-acre) Richmond Park . Stanley Park has a long history. The land was originally used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years before British Columbia

864-747: The 1800s, but it started to see even more activity after the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858, going through a succession of uses when non-Indigenous settlers moved into the area. The shallow waters around the First Narrows and Coal Harbour were popular fishing spots for clams, salmon, and other fish. August Jack Khatsahlano , a celebrated dual chief of the Squamish and Musqueam who once lived at Chaythoos, remembered how he used to fish-rake in Coal Harbour and catch many herrings . They would also hunt grouse, ducks, and deer on

918-546: The Brockton sports fields. The future park was selectively logged by six different companies between the 1860s and 1880s, but its military status saved the land from further development. Most of today's trails in Stanley Park got their start as old skid roads. Near the end of the 1800s, the city's principal reservoir was built in the area south of Prospect Point that is now a playing field and picnic area. Despite

972-622: The Jericho Hill Grounds is a 15-hectare (38-acre) property formerly owned by the provincial government and houses the West Point Grey Academy private school. The eastern 21-hectare (52-acre) parcel is termed the "Jericho Garrison property" and was previously owned by the Department of Defence . It housed various military branches throughout the 20th century. The 39 Canadian Brigade Group , headquarters for all

1026-522: The Vancouver Park Board to promote stewardship and conservation in Stanley Park. Construction of the 8.8-kilometre (5.5 mi) seawall and walkway around the park began in 1917 and took several decades to complete. The original idea for the seawall is attributed to park board superintendent W. S. Rawlings, who conveyed his vision in 1918: It is not difficult to imagine what the realization of such an undertaking would mean to

1080-512: The [Chinese settlers] to leave the park; they were trespassers; but [they] would not go, so the Park Board told my father to set fire to the buildings. I saw them burn; there were five of us children, and you know what children are like when there is a fire. So father set fire to the shacks; what happened to the Chinese I do not know. Most of the dwellings at Xwayxway were reported vacant by 1899, and in 1900, two of such houses were purchased by

1134-448: The area were evicted by the early 20th century, the municipal government still owns a number of field homes used by the park's "live-in caretakers". Caretakers that occupy the field homes are not charged rent by the city, although they are required to assist in park operations and provide a permanent presence for the park board. In 2006, the City of Vancouver decided it would no longer replace live-in caretakers who retired or moved out from

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1188-425: The attractions of the park and personally I doubt if there exists anywhere on this continent such possibilities of a combined park and marine walk as we have in Stanley Park. James "Jimmy" Cunningham, a master mason, dedicated 32 years of his life to the construction of the seawall from 1931 until his retirement in 1963. Cunningham continued to return to monitor the wall's progress until his death at 85. The walkway

1242-570: The causeway at the entrance to the park from Georgia Street. By the 1950s, visitors could take rented rowboats on Lost Lagoon, but boating and other activities were banned in 1973 as the lake became a bird sanctuary. By 1995, the old boathouse had been turned into the Lost Lagoon Nature House. It is operated by the Stanley Park Ecology Society , which is a nonprofit organization that works alongside of

1296-599: The chief of the Squamish Nation proposed renaming Stanley Park as Xwayxway Park after the large village once located in the area. The first European explorations of the peninsula were made by expeditions commanded by Spanish captain José María Narváez (1791) and British captain George Vancouver (1792). In A Voyage of Discovery , Vancouver describes the area as "an island ... with

1350-657: The coasts of Stanley Park , the West End , Kitsilano , West Point Grey and the University Endowment Lands , and makes up the southeastern portion of the outer Burrard Inlet . There is a narrow inlet named False Creek at its eastern end. English Bay Beach, near the city's West End residential neighbourhood, is a popular sunbathing, swimming, and sunset-watching beach in the downtown Vancouver area. Other downtown beaches facing English Bay include Sunset Beach , Second Beach , and Third Beach . Along

1404-402: The field homes, with the city opting to convert several unoccupied field homes into artist studios. From 1913 to 1916, a lake was constructed in a shallow part of Coal Harbour , a project that was not without its detractors. The lake was named Lost Lagoon due to its history of "disappearing" at low tide. The lake and a causeway into the park were designed by Thomas Mawson , who also designed

1458-401: The house. The larger houses were used for ceremonial potlatches where a host would invite guests to witness and participate in ceremonies and the giving away of property. Another settlement was further west along the same shore. This place was called Chaythoos, meaning high bank . The site of Chaythoos is noted on a brass plaque placed on the lowlands east of Prospect Point commemorating

1512-512: The land, it was again considered a strategic point in case Americans attempted an invasion and launched an attack on New Westminster (then the colonial capital) via Burrard Inlet. In 1865, Edward Stamp decided that Brockton Point would be an ideal site for a lumber mill. He cleared close to 40 hectares (100 acres) with the permission of colonial officials, but the site proved too impractical and he moved his operation east, eventually becoming Hastings Mill . The land cleared by Stamp later became

1566-462: The legal status of Deadman Island as part of the park would remain ambiguous for many years). The park was named after Lord Stanley , who had recently become Canada's sixth governor general . Mayor David Oppenheimer gave a formal speech opening the park to the public and delivering authority for its management to the park committee. The following year, Lord Stanley became the first governor general to visit Vancouver when he officially dedicated

1620-409: The need for further cleanup assessed as needed. Stanley Park Stanley Park is a 405-hectare (1,001-acre) public park in British Columbia , Canada, that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver 's Downtown peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay . The park borders the neighbourhoods of West End and Coal Harbour to its southeast, and is connected to

1674-468: The north. The British gave him and his men 60 muskets . Although the attack anticipated by the British never came, the guns were used by the Squamish to repel an attack by an indigenous raid from the Euclataws . Stanley Park was not attacked, but this was when it started to be thought of as a strategic military position. The peninsula was a popular place for gathering traditional food and materials in

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1728-523: The northeast around False Creek at Point Grey facing the Strait of Georgia in the southwest. This is a favourite destination for walkers, runners, bicyclists, and roller-bladers. (Note: the Seawall is one-way for cyclists and roller-bladers, running counter-clockwise from just east of the Lions Gate Bridge to Third Beach.) English Bay Beach is host to a number of public events. The Celebration of Light

1782-431: The park board for $ 25 each and burned. One Squamish family, "Howe Sound Jack" and Sexwalia "Aunt Sally" Kulkalem, continued to live at Xwayxway until Sally died in 1923. Sally's ownership of the property surrounding her home was accepted by authorities in the 1920s, and following her death, the property was purchased from her heir, Mariah Kulkalem, for $ 15,500 and resold to the federal government. Although most residents of

1836-534: The park in the summer. The park also features forest trails, beaches, lakes, children's play areas, and the Vancouver Aquarium , among many other attractions. On June 18, 2014, Stanley Park was named "top park in the entire world" by Tripadvisor , based on reviews submitted. Archaeological evidence suggests a human presence in the park dating back more than 3,000 years. The area is the traditional territory of multiple coastal Indigenous peoples . From

1890-449: The park remains as densely forested as it was in the late 1800s, with about a half million trees, some of which stand as tall as 76 metres (249 ft) and are hundreds of years old. Thousands of trees were lost (and many replanted) after three major windstorms that took place in the past 100 years, the last in 2006. Significant effort was put into constructing the near-century-old Vancouver Seawall , which can draw thousands of people to

1944-482: The park's centennial. Both sites were occupied in 1888, when some residents were forcefully removed to allow a road to be constructed around the park, and their midden was used for construction material. The popular landmark Siwash Rock , located near present-day Third Beach, was once called Slahkayulsh, meaning he is standing up . In the oral history , a fisherman was transformed into this rock by three powerful brothers as punishment for his immorality. In 2010,

1998-496: The park. Mayor Oppenheimer led a procession of vehicles around Brockton Point along the newly completed Park Road to the clearing at Prospect Point . An observer at the event wrote: Lord Stanley threw his arms to the heavens, as though embracing within them the whole of 1000 acres of primeval forest, and dedicated it "to the use and enjoyment of peoples of all colours, creeds, and customs, for all time. I name thee Stanley Park." When Lord Stanley made his declaration, there were still

2052-473: The peninsula, first at Brockton Point and later on Deadman Island . "Portuguese Joe" Silvey was the first European to settle in the future park. A Chinese settlement also grew in a cleared area at Anderson Point (near the present day Vancouver Rowing Club ). The peninsula was surveyed and made a military reserve in an 1863 survey completed by the Royal Engineers . Despite the houses and cabins on

2106-457: The peninsula. Second Beach was a source of "clay ... which, when rolled into loaves, as (my people) did it, and heated or roasted before a fire, turned into a white like chalk" that was used to make wool blankets. Indigenous inhabitants also cut down large cedar trees in the area for a variety of traditional purposes, such as making dugout canoes . By 1860, non-Indigenous settlers (Portuguese, Scots, and others) had started building homes on

2160-527: The private pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 school West Point Grey Academy . West Point Grey is home to the Jericho Lands, composed of two parcels of land with a total area of 36 hectares (90 acres). In a historic agreement in 2014, the larger eastern parcel was acquired by a joint ownership group composed of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (50%) and Canada Lands Company (50%). In 2016,

2214-503: The reservoir's demolition in 1948, there is still a Reservoir Trail at that location. From the 1860s to 1880s, settlers in Burrard Inlet used Brockton Point, Anderson Point, and nearby Deadman Island as burial grounds. This practice stopped when the Mountain View Cemetery opened in 1887. Deadman Island had already had a long history as a burial site. In 1865, unsuspecting newcomer John Morton found old cedar boxes in

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2268-489: The rock is sitting between their two territories, Homolsom is half a Squamish word and half a Fraser River language word. Fiesta Days, a family oriented carnival, is held along 10th Avenue and at Trimble Park in June, with rides, games, performances and a parade. 49°15′52.48″N 123°11′59.08″W  /  49.2645778°N 123.1997444°W  / 49.2645778; -123.1997444 This Vancouver -related article

2322-506: The same Nations and CLC acquired the smaller western parcel from the provincial government, in the same proportions. In both acquisitions, the Nations acquired almost half of their stake at no charge from the federal and provincial governments. The entire area is slated for redevelopment and initial public engagement began in March 2019 in conjunction with the City of Vancouver. To the west,

2376-491: The south shore of the bay lie Kitsilano Beach , Jericho Beach , Locarno Beach , and the Spanish Banks beaches, while on the North Shore are Ambleside Beach and various smaller cove-beaches in the city of West Vancouver . The beaches facing English Bay are a major tourist attraction all year long, with the peak season being late summer. The Vancouver Seawall runs all the way around English Bay from Stanley Park in

2430-452: The spill, but the full extent of any environmental and economic damage is unknown at this early stage. The federal government was criticized for its response to the spill, including the delay in notifying the public of the health hazard, by the mayor and premier, environmental scientists, and an international shipping expert. Coast Guard officials defended the response, with regional director Assistant Commissioner Roger Girouard saying, "it

2484-462: The trees. They turned out to be coffins that had been placed there to keep the remains of important Indigenous persons out of reach of wild animals. In 1886, as its first order of business, Vancouver City Council voted to petition the British government to lease the military reserve for use as a park. To manage their new acquisition, city council appointed a six-person park committee, which in 1890

2538-462: The west, connecting to an additional 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) of beaches and pathways that terminate at the mouth of the Fraser River . By 1933, there were two seaside, saltwater pools in the park, one at Second Beach and one at Lumberman's Arch. These "draw and fill" pools used sun-warmed water from the ocean. Once a week, the pool gates were opened at low tide to release the water back into

2592-646: Was 12,795. The 2016 Canadian Census reported a median household income of $ 84,951 in the neighbourhood, nearly $ 20,000 higher than the City of Vancouver median income of $ 65,423. The most common first language in 2016 was English at 63.6 percent, with Chinese second at 18.9 percent. In 2001, English was at 75.1 percent and Chinese second at 9.3 percent. Schools within the West Point Grey Boundary include Lord Byng Secondary School , Our Lady of Perpetual Help , Queen Elizabeth Elementary School , Queen Mary Elementary School , École Jules Quesnel and

2646-404: Was colonized by the British during the 1858 Fraser Canyon Gold Rush and was one of the first areas to be explored in the city. For many years after colonization, the future park, with its abundant resources, would also be home to non-Indigenous settlers . The land was later turned into Vancouver's first park when the city incorporated in 1886. It was named after Lord Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby ,

2700-407: Was exceptional". The beaches were tested and most were reopened following a ten-day closure. While the water and soil at most of the beaches tested was found not to have harmful levels of oil present, the government cautioned that "small amounts" of oil may remain, and urged people to be aware of the possible hazard and avoid contact with any oil. The reopened beaches will continue to be tested and

2754-437: Was extended several times and, as of 2023, is 22 kilometres (14 mi) from end to end, making it the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront walkway. The Stanley Park portion is just under half of the entire length, which starts at Canada Place in the downtown core, runs around Stanley Park, along English Bay , around False Creek , and finally to Kitsilano Beach . From there, a trail continues 600 metres (2,000 ft) to

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2808-417: Was later erected to commemorate the city's golden jubilee . The fountain, installed in 1936, was purchased from Chicago , a leftover from its world's fair in 1933 . The causeway was widened and extended through the centre of the park in the 1930s with the construction of the Lions Gate Bridge , which connects downtown Vancouver to the North Shore . At the same time, two pedestrian subways were added under

2862-475: Was replaced with an elected body, the Vancouver Park Board . In 1908, 20 years after the first lease, the federal government renewed the lease for 99 more years. In 2006, a letter from Parks Canada stated that "the Stanley Park lease is perpetually renewable and no action is required by the Park Board in relation to the renewal". On September 27, 1888, the park was officially opened (although

2916-425: Was the site of an oil spill on April 8, 2015. The official cause of the spill has not been confirmed, but at least 2,700 litres (590 imp gal; 710 US gal) of " bunker fuel " are known to have escaped from a cargo ship into the bay. The highly toxic oil later washed up on nearby beaches, creating a slick 15–20 centimetres (5.9–7.9 in) thick. At least twenty seabirds were injured or affected by

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