Century 21 In Town Realty
421 Pacific Street, Vancouver, British Columbia
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Thursday, April 15, 2010 - Earth Day is April 22nd!
Earth Day is April 22nd! Spend some time visiting Stanley Park
-The Jewel of Vancouver
Earth Day is April 22nd!
Earth Week is April 16 - 25!
THE WONDERS OF VANCOUVER
"A city that has been carved out of the forest should maintain somewhere within its boundaries evidence of what it once was, and so long as Stanley Park remains unspoiled that testimony to the giant trees that occupied the site of Vancouver in former days will remain."
The News Herald, October 30th, 1939
1936 postcard of the fountain in the Lost Lagoon
Stanley Park - The Jewel of Vancouver
* On September 27, 1888, the park , named for Lord Stanley, then the Governor General of Canada, was officially opened, establishing the city's first official "Green Space".
* The peninsula was originally designated as a military reserve in the early 1860's. It was considered a strategic point in case the Americans might attempt an invasion and launch an attack on New Westminster, then the colonial capitol, via Burrard Inlet.
* The area was logged by six different companies between the 1860's and 1880's, but the original military designation saved the land from development.
* In 1886, as its first order of business, Vancouver's City Council voted to petition the Dominion Government to lease the reserve for use as a park.
* This statue of Lord Stanley was a commenmoration of his speech that opened the park. Engraved on the tablet below him is a quote from that speech:,"To the use and enjoyment of people of all colours, creeds and customs, for all time. I name thee Stanley Park."
* Just off the seawall, beside the Brockton Oval are the Totem Poles. Each of the 8 Totem Poles of Stanley Park tell a story all thier own. A Totem is the First Nations Coat of Arms. They are unique to the Northwest tribes and are carved out of Red Cedar.
* At 4 square kilometres, Stanley Park is more than 10% larger than New York City's famous Central Park.
* Stanley Park is encircled by 8.8 km of seawall, and includes 200 km of hiking trails and roads. the seawall is a very popular place for lots of activity like walking, jogging, cycling or rollerblading - but watch out for those lane designations!
* The Vancouver Aquarium was established in the park in 1956 and has become the largest in Canada.
* Hundreds of migratory birds call the park their home. Canada geese, swans, ducks and a rare urban blue heron nesting area, called a heronry. The Great Blue Herons of Stanley Park is a fascinating short film about the heronry.
* Other large populations of critters are racoons, squirrels, skunks, bats and coyotes. The Stanley Park Ecology Society is a fun website that has details of all kinds of activities to get involved in at Stanley Park, and parks all over the Greater Vancouver area.
Hope you've enjoyed this posting. If you have any questions, any little known facts or interesting Vancouver Stories or pictures, please feel free to contact me at:
For all your Vancouver Real Estate needs, call me,
Gerry Gramek, direct at: 604-551-2747
Posted by Gerry Gramek on April 14, 2010
Tags: BC Earth Day Earth Week Vancouver Vancouver Area Stories
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