Winter Sunrise in Vancouver (PHOTOS)

During the first cold snap of the season in Vancouver, I embarked on one of my sunrise walks around the Stanley Park Seawall to capture some winter scenes.

Winter Sunrise in Vancouver

The sea lions that have made Coal Harbour home for the last month were quieter than usual first thing in the morning, and seagulls slipped and they stood on the frozen surface of the high tide. It was about -8C right when the sun started beaming from behind Canada Place.

Mini icebergs, like thousands of paper cranes, disrupted the smooth surface of the icy ocean around the Vancouver Rowing Club.

I found out later in the day, at low tide, that these formations must be created when the water level lowers, cracks over a rock, then when the tide rises the cracked shapes get frozen in place.

Further out into Burrard Inlet, past Deadman’s Island, the water was flowing as usual. Wave lapped at the waterfront path, splashing logs up onto the beach.

Past the totem poles and now on the north side of the park, high tide covered the Girl in a Wetsuit‘s rock.

Inside the park, the little waterfall under Pipeline Road was still rushing as usual for the off season (it’s barely a trickle in summer), and the banks of the streams and ditches around Beaver Lake and the South Creek Trail were lined with needle ice.

View the full walk in my Instagram Reel:

Beaver Lake itself was frozen in some places, and out at Lost Lagoon, the “Dance Thin Ice” signs floated on the water or stuck into the mud on the show – the deep freeze hadn’t set in so there was no need for snow lifeguards just yet.

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