Jane’s Walk Vancouver 2012

Jane’s Walk first took place in Toronto on May 5, 2007 and was lead by friends of Jane Jacobs. 27 free community walks were offered by volunteers that day and hundreds of people set out on foot to learn more about Toronto’s neighbourhoods.

Photo: Clayton Perry Photoworks

I first heard about Jane’s Walk in 2009, when it first expanded to Vancouver and last year, 511 walks in 75 cities in 15 countries around the world were hosted. In Canada, 36 cities participated and hosted 401 walks, with 178 in Toronto alone.

How it Works

All Jane’s Walk tours are given and taken for free. These walks are led by anyone who has an interest in the neighbourhoods where they live, work or hang out. Jane’s Walks are meant to be fun, engaged and participatory – everyone’s got a story and they’re usually keen to share it.

Volunteer walk leaders pick a neighbourhood and perhaps a theme like gardens, social history, planning, or architecture. The walk gets listed on the Jane’s Walk website with a map and details such as the meeting time and place, accessibility, and a short description.

There are already quite a few listings for Vancouver this year including The “West” West End, Stanley Park’s Forgotten History: Where Human and Natural History Met, Fraser Street: Past, Present and Future, Walk the Bee-Line in Kitsilano, and Home: An Exploration of What Makes Marpole Unique.

Jane’s Walk will take place the weekend of May 5th and 6th, 2012. All walk start times are posted on the individual listings. Follow Jane’s Walk Vancouver on Facebook and Twitter for more information and to learn more about walks in your neighbourhood.