stanley park

Surrounded almost entirely by water, Stanley Park stands alone as Vancouver’s first and largest urban park. Covered in dense forest including a wide variety of wild life and nature, Stanley Park consists of 405 hectares, and serves as a place of great solace for the visitors and residents who spend time in Vancouver.

Bordering downtown and encircled by Vancouver Harbour and English Bay, Stanley Park was one of the very first areas of the city to be explored. Previously inhabited by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the British colonized the area that it was named after Lord Stanley who was, at the time the Governor General of Canada.

This weekend, I had the chance to go to Stanley Park with my lovely Calgary cousin who was in town visiting for a couple days. It was another beautiful, autumn day and the sun shone jubilantly as we breathed in the crisp, fresh air. Being my first time to Stanley Park, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Of course, I had heard that it was a must-see in Vancouver, and it didn’t take long for me to understand why.

Immediately, we were swept up amongst the walkers as we made our way along the walking path. Cyclists zoomed past us as we allowed ourselves to get lost in conversation while gazing admirably at the scenic mountain, sea and sky views. The barge ships stood in solidarity on the horizon, steady and sure of their transport missions.

Each section of the seawall seemed to convey a different story; a personality. With each turn we came across a new visual experience to be had. A group of foreign cyclists instructing each other in a language unknown to my ears, a hand-holding duo with nothing but time, a determined jogger who’d run this route many times. As we approached Third Beach I spotted an eccentric, bare-footed man setting up what looked to be an art station. He had his wiry, grey hair pulled back into a pony tail and his thick glasses accentuated his kind eyes as he peered up at me from his spot down below on the sand. He was radiating with aliveness as he went to dip his feet in the water between drying paint layers. He explained proudly that the blue watercolour paint was made from green tea and the yellow from the turmeric spice. He was more than happy to have a small audience as he passionately explained his process.

The salty air acted as an ongoing reminder that we were walking right on the edge of the ocean, curving around the bends, chasing the setting sun. Golden hour hit us in full force as we made our way around the 30 kilometer seawall. Surrounding the perimeter of the park, the seawall came into being as a result of the hard work and determination of James Cunningham who devoted his life to building and checking in on the seawall up until his death at the age of eighty-five. Construction began in 1931 and the wall is presently the most used facility in Stanley Park. While it brings recreation and happiness to many, it also serves the important purpose of preventing erosion.

Strolling along the seawall was the perfect way to spend such a beautiful day, and our rosy cheeks and growing appetites only reassured us of this. The beauty of God’s creation, and our capacity to appreciate it firsthand in a place as spectacular as this park only reminded me of how fortunate I am to be healthy and alive, with so much to look forward to and be thankful for.

I am grateful to the individuals who had the foresight to create something that would successfully encapsulate the very essence of what it means to enjoy the great outdoors amidst a steadily growing metropolis like Vancouver.

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