Figure 1.-- Unlike other large urban parks, Stanley Park near Vancouver was not the creation of a landscape architect, but rather a virgin old-growth forest turnd into a magnificent urban park. The area was originally known as Coal Peninsula and was set aside for military fortifications to guard the entrance to Vancouver harbor. The city began turning the area into a aark (1886). There is nothing quite like it even to this day. Public amenities were gradually added over the years.

Stanley Park in Vancouver is one of the most beautiful urban parks in the world. It is mot aswell known as Cetralm Park in New York and Hyde Park in London, but it has attravted tourists from many differentv countries. No urban park in the wirld has trees comoparabketo Stanley Park. It offers toweing old griowth forests, magnigficent panorama, and even wildlife, somehing unusual in most urban parks. Stanley Park like Central Park abd Hyde Park is as cherished city feature. Stanley Park has a substantual history. Vancouver city is located on a peninsula jutting outv into the sheltered wateres of Georgia Strait just north of the United States border. The name is confusing because it is not located on Vancouver Island itself. The peninsula and sheltered wars resulted iun it being occupied by native people for millennia. Vancouver is located in the Canadian Pacific Coast province of British Colombia. It has an exceptional natural harbor on a breathtaking site facing the water and majestic. It us the major urban center in the province, tracing it origins to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush (1858). At the time , like California in America, there was no connection to the Atlantic Coast provinves. And unlike America, few Canadians made the overland trek across the oparariec and mountains. The land where Stranley Park is located became Vancouver’s first park when the small, but growing city was incorporated (1886). Sanley Park is named in honor of Lord Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby. He was the Bruitish Colonial Secretary (1885-86) and Governor General of Canada (1888-93). He is was a dedicated sportsman and is probably best known perhaps best known today for the Stanley Cup--the championship trohy of the National Hockey League (NHL). (The NHL includes Canadian teams.) The land was originally known as Coal Peninsula and was not developed as part of the city because it was reserved for military purposes, guarding the entrance to the city's harbor. The city fsathers shiwed immense foresightcwhen at virtually no cost secured a lease from British authorities for the land (1886). Vancouver was still very small and the idea of a substantial city park was not perhaos the most pressing issue in a city surrond by virgin firests. Lord Stanley opened the park (1888). At the time it was just the old-growth forrest. There was at first no landscaping and amenities, just the forrest and coastal views. Actual structures to accomodate visitors only began to be built (1911). Park Superintendent W.S. Rawlings saw the need for some visitor facilites. Attractions like a polar bear exhibit, aquarium and a miniature train were added later as Vancouver grew ariunf the Park. The Park continues to be densely forested just as it was when created, including some 0.5 million trees. Some are over 75 meters and are hundreds of years old. Storms have felled thousands of trees, including some if the oldest and tallest trees. Tragically, a major stand of especially tall trees lmown as the 'seven sisters' located at the center of the Park did not survive into the 1970s. It had been the the most popular attraction. Historian John Atkin explains, "They were so popular that people basically killed them by walking on their roots." Park managers conduct replantings to replasce the trees lost. The klast iof the major stornms occurred in 2006. The largest construction project was a 8.8-kilometer seawall and walkway whuch began (1917). The walkway has been a work in progress, extended several times. It now extends 22 kilometers an is the world’s most extensive uninterrupted waterfront walkway, now extenfing beyound the Park. It begins at Canada Place in the center of Vancouver. We don't have any 19th century images of the pak, but once the Kodak Browie appeared, there is an explosion of family snapshots.

Created: 9:29 PM 3/14/2023
Last updated: 9:29 PM 3/14/2023