|
|
Vancouver's Stanley Park
Stanley Park, Vancouver's first, is an evergreen
oasis of 1,000 acres close to the heart of Vancouver's downtown
core. Its natural west coast atmosphere offering a backdrop of
majestic cedar, hemlock and fir trees embraces visitors and
transports them to an environment rich in tranquility.
Getting around Stanley Park |
|
The park abounds in wildlife and its features appeal
to the naturalist, the plant lover or one who would do nothing more
than relax in beautiful surroundings. The Nature House, located on
Lost Lagoon's south side, offers educational materials as well as
seasonal walking tours.
Lost Lagoon is the haven
for many varieties of birds including swans, ducks and Canada geese.
The rushes and small islands in the lake make a natural nesting
place for the various species that live here.
A myriad of recreational facilities are available in Stanley Park
including a pitch and putt golf course bordered by the
spring-blooming Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden. At the
Park's heart is the formal Rose Garden surrounded by mass perennial
plantings looking their very best from April through September. The
Children's Farmyard, Miniature Railway, tennis
courts, bathing beaches, a children's water park, a heated ocean
side swimming pool, Theatre Under the
Stars, the Vancouver Aquarium and the 5.5 mile perimeter seawall
round out the menu of what a great public park offers. At the
entrance to the Park you find many places to rent a tandem bike or
rollerblades. Refreshment stands along with four restaurants are
strategically placed throughout the park for your convenience. Dogs
must be leashed at all times and visitors are asked not to feed Park
animals or birds in order to keep our wildlife "wild".
Situated just off the seawall beside
the Brockton Oval cricket pitch are eight totem poles. Each has a
story that breathes life into it. Each is connected to the land on
which it stands in more than just a physical sense.
In 2001 an interpretive centre was established by
constructing a separate structure housing working areas, lots of
signage, a gift shop for related items and a refreshment outlet. The
totem poles themselves were treated to un upgrade in the landscaping
around them. More signage was put in place to deal with the stories
related to each of them individually.
Traffic Note: Vehicular traffic in Stanley Park is one way
and counter clockwise. Pay parking of $1 for 1 hour or $5 for all
day is enforced from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
