Lost Lagoon, on the edge of the city at the entrance to Stanley Park, is only about 100 years old. This captive body of water used to be free-flowing from Coal Harbour, before it was penned in by the Stanley Park Causeway. Here is some history of Lost Lagoon…
The History of Lost Lagoon
1894. Entrance to Stanley Park. Boorne and May Photo. Archives# St Pk P115.
How Lost Lagoon Was Lost
It was poet E. Pauline Johnson that came up with the name Lost Lagoon. When the tide was in, water lapped the shores of the West End. When the water retreated with the tide, the lagoon disappeared entirely.
O! lure of the Lost Lagoon, – I dream to-night that my paddle blurs The purple shade where the seaweed stirs, I hear the call of the singing firs In the hush of the golden moon. » read the full poem…
This area of mud flats is was called Ch’elxwá7elch by the Squamish People, meaning “get dry” (read more Indigenous place names in the Squamish Atlas).
In the early days of the park, the entrance was a bridge, under which the Burrard Inlet water flowed in and out of the lagoon. Between 1916 and 1926 the Stanley Park Causeway was built, land-locking the water entirely. In 1922, the Vancouver Park Board officially called it “Lost Lagoon”, based on the name put to paper by E. Pauline Johnson, who passed away in 1913.
Lost Lagoon From Above 1919
Photographer: Stuart Thomson, Item #CVA 1123-6
Lost Lagoon From Above 2011
Entrance to the Park 1894
Archives# CVA 677-987.
Entrance to the Park 1940
Archives# CVA 586-340
Entrance to the Park 2013
City Beautiful Plan
Michael Kluckner writes in his book Vancouver Remembered that we almost lost the lagoon entirely and ended up with a sports field.
The “City Beautiful” plan would have seen the lagoon filled in to provide space for a sports field or a museum or stadium. Michael quotes a Park Board engineer of the time who said, “Fortunately, they never got beyond the plan stage. The design might have been suitable for a Peace Palace or a European Capitol, but would have resulted in substituting for the present beautiful natural lagoon a purely artificial treatment at a very high cost.” Michael comments, “Once again, lack of money saved Vancouver from the visionaries.” [Source: Vancouver History]
Freshwater and Sanctuary Development
“The next phase in the lake’s development came in 1929, when the saltwater pipes entering from Coal Harbour were shut off, turning it into a freshwater lake. The BC Fish and Game Protection Association was given permission to stock the lake with trout. The Stanley Park Flyfishing Association was formed, and charged members to fish in the lake, while the park board profited from the canoe and boat rentals. This came to an end in 1938 when the walkway around the lake was constructed and the area declared a bird sanctuary.” [Source: Mike Steele: Vancouver’s Famous Stanley Park: The Year-Round Playground]
1929. Archives# CVA 99-1957.
1975. Archives# CVA 99-1975.
1953. Archives# 2009-001.078.
The Jubilee Fountain was installed in 1936.
Today, Lost Lagoon is home to the Stanley Park Nature House, views of the West End, and many of the park’s creatures — from swans and geese to otters, beavers, and flying squirrels.
Winter is a great time to travel in Canada, not just to beat the blues, but because we have some stunning seasonal landscapes and attractions that truly shine at this time of year. We all know that there’s skating on Ottawa’s Rideau Canal and some awesome powder to shred at Whistler, but beyond these well-known destinations are a number of “hidden gems” just waiting to be discovered.
Explore Canadian Winter Destinations
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has put together the following winter travel destinations that you can discover as you celebrate the spirit of winter in Canada and explore our own, vast and diverse, backyard:
The town of St. Jacob’s Ontario is a popular summer destination, but the winter themed activities that take place as part of St. Jacob’s Sparkles are not to be missed. The entire town is decorated for the festive season, where pedestrians sip apple cider and watch carollers as they line the streets singing holiday songs. Visitors can also enjoy sleigh rides pulled by either deer or horses. Stay at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Waterloo-St. Jacobs when you visit.
When the snow flies Quebec city is transformed into a winter paradise, with Carnaval de Quebec activities for everyone to enjoy, or take a winter stroll past the beautiful Palace Royale in Old Quebec. Adventurous winter travelers can enjoy a dog sled ride through forest trails with an option to stay overnight in the forest, or you can stay overnight with us at the Holiday Inn Express Quebec City (Sainte-Foy).
Our great lakes are just as great in the winter. Visit Sudbury, Ontario to ice skate around the perimeter of Ramsey Lake, or give ice fishing a try at one of the 330 freshwater lakes in the Greater Sudbury area. Warm up and get cozy while staying at the Holiday Inn Sudbury.
The Niagara region of Ontario is well known for its wine tours, but wine appreciation doesn’t stop when the snow flurries arrive. The Niagara Icewine Festival is an exciting celebration of food and flavours not to be missed. After a fun night of food and wine, enjoy a relaxing stay at the Holiday Inn St. Catherines.
When the temperature drops, the Maritimes become a winter wonderland. Visit The Grand Falls in New Brunswick to see the falls transformed into awe-inspiring columns of ice, or add Fredericton’s annual FROSTival to your winter travel checklist. Stay at the Crowne Plaza Fredericton-Lord Beaverbrook.
Another popular summertime destination in the Maritimes, Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia, is breathtaking when blanketed in a thin layer of snow. Pull on your warm winter clothes and watch the sun set against a backdrop of crashing waves and ice. Stay at the Holiday Inn Halifax Harbourview.
Wherever you choose to travel this season, InterContinental Hotels Group properties, including Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, are everywhere you want to be and available to help make your Canadian travel dreams a reality. They have seven well-known hotel brands, with more than 4,700 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries worldwide.
Enter to Win 50,000 IHG Rewards Club Points
IHG Rewards Club points are earned on every stay and help your travel budget go even further. You can then redeem them towards hotel stays, travel or even items in the IHG Rewards Club Catalogue. To encourage your travel this season, I have 50,000 IHG Rewards Club points to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post naming an iconic Canadian winter destination or event you would like to visit (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win 50,000 @IHGrewardsclub points from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/XADZP
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, February 3, 2016. The winner will need to sign-up or already be an IHG Rewards Club member to redeem and manage the points.
We spend time to go on wine and beer tours, learning about the inner workings of what it takes to get grapes or hops, fermented or brewed, into our glasses to sip and swirl. But what about cocktails? How do infusions work? Why whip an egg white into a creamy foam to top a drink? What’s the difference between shaking and stirring? Learn about techniques, view demos, and concoct some mind-bending creations at the Science of Cocktails.
Science of Cocktails at Science World
Where: Science World at TELUS World of Science
When: Thursday, February 4, 2016 from 7:00pm to 12:00am
Tickets: Available online now. $145 general / $250 VIP. Group tickets 10+ guests are available by calling (604) 443-7500.
Cause: This event will support the Class Field Trip program at Science World. The event hopes to raise enough to invite thousands of students from under-served schools in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland to Science World one-of-a-kind experiences.
General admission ticket holders will receive open bar, ample hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening, plus access to a variety of special cocktail science activities, demos and programs. VIP tickets will receive the value added benefits of early event access (7:00pm), valet parking, access to the Diageo Reserve World Class VIP Lounge, a selection of premium cocktail offerings, passed canapes service, exclusive event programming, VIP photo opportunity and a special thank you gift.
Event Highlights
Science of Cocktails will transform Science World at TELUS World of Science into Vancouver’s largest cocktail laboratory of the year. Science World is inviting Vancouverites to mix, mingle and be merry, for a great cause. This fundraising event boasts uniquely crafted libations from local, award-winning bartenders, along with mouth-watering food pairings, thoughtfully prepared by Railtown Catering.
Open bar with 25 different bar stations serving cocktails especially crafted by award-winning bartenders
Guests who fill out and drop off their Drink Passport at the event are also eligible to win prizes including a Tesla Motors package, where the winner gets to drive a Tesla for an evening; a weekend stay at Fairmont Pacific Rim for 2 people plus breakfast at ORU (valued at $780); a SmartyPantz Group Escape Experience for 8 people; and more.
Vancouver’s top bartenders will be competing to win the evening’s Cocktail Competition, awarded by a panel of industry judges. Winner will receive a trophy made of a 3D printed martini glass designed for
astronauts to use in space. Guests can also vote for their favourite cocktails through their drink passports; the winning bartender will be given The People’s Choice award.
Doors open at 7:00pm for VIP guests and 7:45pm for general admission. Guests will learn about the Class Field Trip program at the beginning of the night, which will benefit from the fundraiser.
Demos will follow, including how to prepare a Smoked Apple Martini or an Instant Moscow Mule, as a round robin Cocktail Competition plays out throughout the night. In true Science World fashion, guests will have all kinds of stations to interact and tinker with and there will also be challenges throughout the evening where guests can win prizes.
Check out the Van de Graaff generator; create LED coasters with petri dishes, button batteries and LEDs; Customize your own wine glass charms with glow-in-the-dark and UV beads; see what happens when objects become super cooled using dry ice and liquid nitrogen; watch a friendly and fun shaker competition; take the smell station challenge and use your nose to see if you can smell the different aromatics used in gin infusions; and take a look how the volume of glassware is deceptive by participating in a martini glass illusion.
Where: The Orpheum (601 Smithe St, Vancouver) When: Saturday, February 20, 2016 at 8:00pm Tickets: Starting at $29, available online now
This version of Phantom of the Opera is not the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, but a score to the 1925 silent film by innovative Canadian composer Andrew Downing. It is a spectacular multimedia work that interweaves a screening of Rupert Julian’s dark & haunting 1925 film, The Phantom of the Opera, with live performance by chorus and chamber ensemble.
Toronto-based composer Andrew Downing’s mesmerizing score returns by popular demand, offering new intensity and nuance to the cult-classic tale of gothic romance, lurking horror, and the unequaled power of music.
Win a Phantom of the Opera Date Night
Forget the pink hearts, red roses, and pre-written greeting cards when looking for a gift for your sweetheart this season. Instead, try a night of passion and gothic romance. Enter to win a uniquely themed prize package valued at over $300! The prize includes:
RT to enter to win a @VanBachChoir date night w/@TheCannibalCafe @AcademieDuello @stormcrowtavern from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/XyBAr
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, February 2, 2016. Tickets are for February 20th exclusively. All prizes can be collected at the concert on February 20th. Follow the Vancouver Bach Choir on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
The most frequent photos I see that have been taken at Porteau Cove include the Milky Way and the Northern Lights, which says something about this Provincial Park, located along the Sea to Sky Highway.
When “Porteau” (porte d’eau) is translated from French into English it means “Water’s Gate”. This name dates from 1908 when John F. Deeks began mining the extensive sand and gravel deposits here to supply Vancouver. A small community of employees lived here until the beginning of the Depression, enjoying good housing, a schoolhouse, tennis courts, and daily ferry service from the Union Steamship Company. These ferries, Lady Cynthia and Lady Cecilia, operated between Vancouver and Squamish until the railway (then the Pacific Great Eastern) was extended from Squamish into North Vancouver. [BC Parks]
Situated on the most southern fjord in North America, it’s a gorgeous area that’s close enough to the city to make it a lovely afternoon excursion, yet far enough away to provide a brilliant canvas for the stars at night. On the waters of Howe Sound, it’s a popular SCUBA diving location, camp spot, picnic area, and base for night time photography.
