The Vancouver Parks Board maintains 17 wonderful parks in Kitsilano.  Here are some little known facts in our neighbourhood.

Seaforth Peace Park, 1690 Chestnut Street (Cornwall and Burrard). 

Originally part of the Kitsilano Indian Reserve and was a park by 1949, named for the Seaforth Armory across the street. In July 1986 the Parks Board approved a fountain memorial to commemorate the August 6, 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Artist Sam Carter created a water-filled bronze cauldron resting on granite containing an eternal flame. In 1992 Seaforth Park officially joined the Peace Parks across Canada with a ceremony, including children with their peace quilt and planting 12 trees.

Hadden Park, 1905 Ogden, (at Cypress) dog off-leash park.

Englishman Harvey Hadden purchased this site in 1928 from the Canadian Pacific Railway for $44,000. He then donated it to the Parks Board with an additional $5,000 to develop the area. A totem pole to commemorate the BC Centennial was erected on October 15, 1968 (currently removed for restoration).

Vanier Park, 1000 Chestnut St.; so well known it doesn’t need describing. 

The site was formerly a Royal Canadian Air Force depot which the federal government gave to the Parks Board on October 28, 1966; named for the Governor General of Canada, George Vanier. The Vancouver Archives opened in 1972 with the subterranean building. Deputy Park Board Superintendent William Livingstone, famous for his landscape design for Queen Elizabeth Park and Van Dusen Botanical Garden, increased the size of the original park site when he took advantage of tons of free fill from the excavation for the MacMillan Bloedel office building on Georgia Street.

A few small parks are along Point Grey Road. For me, the advantage is many water fountains along the road when I am walking on a hot summer day. The Parks Board has a vision of more parks to add to these: at Trafalgar; at Stephens – has a stone wall from a former residence; at Macdonald – Margaret Pigott Park named for an active parkland advocate;  at West 3rd – Tatlow Park one of the city’s oldest parks, purchased from T.E. Calland in 1907, in 1911 named for Hon. RG Tatlow, former Park Commissioner on its first Board in 1888 and thereafter for 18 years, tennis courts here since 1913; at Macdonald – Volunteer Park; at Trutch – a wooden viewing platform above the rocky shoreline; at Waterloo – Jean Beaty Park has steep steps down to the rocky beach below, named for Jean Beaty whose home was originally here in the mid-1990’s, she decided to sell her home to the Parks Board below market value to open water views and allow more park access along Point Grey Road.

Tatlow Park in 1917

Arbutus Greenway Park, 2250 West 11th (between Vine St.  & Arbutus St.), gardens with fragrant flowers, sculptures, and arbours, and a variety of seating open or quiet

Connaught Park,  West 12th, Vine, West 10th and Larch St. The first playing field here was in 1926. The Field house is a Heritage Building, constructed in 1924, with English Arts and Crafts style of architecture, and is home of the Meraloma Sports Club.

Delamont Park, 2091 West 7th at Arbutus, dedicated in 1981 to Arthur Delamont, who founded the internationally famous Kitsilano Boys Band in 1928 and conducted it for 5 decades.

McBride Park, 3350 West 4th, (at Waterloo), the provincial government donated the land to the Parks Board in 1911, named after Sir Richard McBride, Premier at that time. During World War I the park was used for the cultivation of vegetables.

Rosemary Brown Park, 2299 Redbud Lane, (West 11th at Yew St.). The site was once the brewmasters house of one of Vancouver’s first beer companies, with elements and equipment from Carling breweries incorporated into the larger park’s landscape design.  In 2005 the park was dedicated for Rosemary Brown,  Member of the Legislative Assembly, who served the Vancouver-Burrard riding from 1972-1979.

Almond Park, 3600 West 12th, (at Dunbar Street), named for Alderman Henry Almond to recognize his efforts in securing the area for a public park. It was opened on February 23, 1928, originally called Dunbar Park and constructed for $15,200.

You can learn more about Vancouver’s parks here and here.

FIELDHOUSE PROGRAMS IN PARKS

The Parks Board Fieldhouse Activation Program transforms former care-taker suites in parks or underused buildings into creative spaces for everyone. Artist collectives, food, greening and environmental groups are given access to these spaces in exchange for engaging neighbours, colleagues and curious visitors in imaginative, collaborative work in parks.   

At McBride Park fieldhouse Village Vancouver will have a food, gardening and environmental focus, including:  seed sharing libraries, plant swaps, pollinator and indigenous plant walks, events about producing, preserving and preparing food, and neighbourhood village potlucks. Their hope is to create positive local responses to our climate change and food system challenges. Village Vancouver has a long history of inspiring individuals, neighbourhoods and organizations to build sustainable communities while having fun.

At Hadden Park fieldhouse the theme is Arts. Publik Secrets is a team of musicians, fabricators and visual artists who re-imagine public spaces as gathering places. They work to spark wonder and play through multi-disciplinary, community-driven arts projects and events, with a focus on participation and re-uniting art with the daily life of the community.

Last modified: March 3, 2020

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