It’s been 69 years since the West Vancouver Parks Board was established. The 100-year old district municipality set up a parks board on September 13th, 1943 according to Chuck Davis’ Vancouver History and in honor of this milestone, my park series this week features all of West Vancouver’s major parks:
Ambleside Park
Features: Dog off-leash area, pitch & putt course, sports fields, beaches, picnics, skate park, concession, awesome views of Vancouver and Stanley Park from this 59 acre seaside playground.
Caulfeild Park
Features: Shoreline park with more great views.
Cypress Falls Park
Features: Dog off-leash area, playground, sports fields, tennis courts, 2km circuit of forest hiking trails with waterfalls.
Leyland Park
Features: Dog off-leash area, hiking and walking trails, slope-side views of Burrard Inlet from Sentinel Hill. This neighbourhood park is 2 acres in side.
Dundarave Park
Features: No dogs allowed, wading pool, playground, picnic tables, sandy swimming beaches.
John Lawson Park
Features: In the heart of West Vancouver, historic waterfront, gravel and sandy swimming beach, walking paths, pier, wading pool, playground, picnic tables.
Lighthouse Park
Features: Dogs allowed off-leash on trails, 10km of forest and seaside walking paths, rugged lookout points where Burrard Inlet meets Howe Sound. Lots of history here and at the lighthouse at Point Atkinson, which was named by Captain George Vancouver himself. Lighthouse Park has also had its own feature in my Metro Vancouver Park Series.
Whytecliff Park
Features: Rugged lookout points in this 15 hectare park that has a protected salt water marine area. Tennis courts, playground, swimming area, hiking and walking trails.
Horseshoe Bay Park
Features: Spray pool, views of Howe Sound, watch the ferries come and go.
Memorial Park
Features: A peaceful green space in the heart of the Ambleside Business District with lawn bowling area and a playground.
These are just a few of the parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches, and recreational areas in West Vancouver and on the North Shore and we’re very fortunate to be in such close proximity to so many great outdoor escapes.
Over the years I have profiled bloggers from the Northwest Territories to the Fraser Valley, anyone that interests me and that I hope will interest you as well. A few years ago I started asking a standard set of questions and I’ve sent these out to a few local bloggers for this week’s series. Click, share, explore, and enjoy.
Kendra Hagerman
Photo courtesy of Kendra Hagerman
Blog: Van City Pretty
Twitter: VanCityPretty
Facebook: Van City Pretty – Vancouver Style Blog
How long has your blog been around?
I’ve been writing for years, but Van City Pretty was “born” a year and a half ago.
What is your role?
I’m the founder and Editor-in-Chief. As a writer, I also contribute to Tyra Banks’ Type F, MTV FORA, Huffington Post Style, Golden Girl Finance, and a number of other publications.
What does your site do/what is it about
Van City Pretty is an online fashion and beauty magazine. I focus on a wide range of beauty and style, and offer real information for real people.
What can people see, read, and do when visiting your site?
There’s a little something for everyone: designer interviews, fashion/beauty trends, how to, fashion inspiration, DIY, cheap style thrills, local and international beauty/fashion news, interviews with inspiring women in the fashion industry, a breakdown of the Vancouver Holt Renfrew store windows, collection rundowns, and online/in store sale alerts.
One of my favourite features is Thrift Store Scores, where I focus on at least one vintage item that I’ve hunted down at a thrift store. One of my latest finds, a $3 vintage Gucci clutch, has quickly become my “go to” accessory.
Why do you blog?
I started Van City Pretty as a place to share my creativity, ideas, favourite things, and writing portfolio. As a freelance writer, I don’t always have full creative control over what I write about. Since I’m the founder, owner, and writer, there’s no one to tell me what creative direction to take. The choice (and responsibility) is all mine.
I wanted Van City Pretty to be a place where readers can have fun exploring and discovering new things. I wanted to create a website full of inspiration and information. I love interviewing people, hearing their stories, learning from their mistakes, and gaining new knowledge. It’s my passion, and a labour of love.
What is the ultimate goal for your site, how would you like to see it grow?
I’d love to see Van City Pretty continue to grow in popularity, readership, and size. I’d like to continue to use it as a platform to share the things that I’m passionate about, and to become one of the top fashion/beauty websites. No matter how big VCP gets, I want to continue to offer fashion and beauty information that is accessible and applicable to everyone.
I’m also writing a book that I would like to eventually publish, and I would love to share some of it with my readers.
Follow Kendra: Van City Pretty, Twitter, Facebook
Read all entries in my Blogger Profile series and feel free to suggest a blogger for possible feature in the comments of this post.
TELUS presents Voices in the Park, a benefit concert for the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, this Saturday, September 15, 2012. The line-up is stacked as Canadian and international talents, as well as local music students, take to the stage in Stanley Park.
Confirmed performers so far include Sarah McLachlan, Bryan Adams, Stevie Nicks, Hey Ocean!, Jann Arden, Hedley, The Boom Booms, Grammy Award winning producer Chin Injeti, Vancouver Men’s Chorus, and more. Former president Bill Clinton will also make an appearance.
There is parking in Stanley Park but you can take transit (the #19 goes into the park), walk over from Waterfront, or hop the shuttle from Park Royal, the Olympic Village Easy Park, Gastown (Storyeum), and 6th at Ash. Gates will open at 2:00pm on Saturday and there will be food concession, food trucks, a beer garden, and marchandise tents all at Brockton Fields.
Tickets for Voices in the Park presented by TELUS are still on sale starting at $85. I happen to have a pair of General Admission tickets up for grabs as well, here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
As the concert is this weekend I will do a quick turnaround and end the contest tomorrow. One winner will be drawn at random from all entries at 11:30pm Wednesday, September 12, 2012.
The Sarah McLachlan School of Music is a registered charity and offers free music programs for underserved and at-risk youth in Vancouver. The school focuses on inspiring confidence and success in students, while promoting a lifelong love of the arts. Funds raised from the concert will be used to further expand the free after-school music programs available for students and to increase the number of students.
Follow Voices in the Park on Twitter and Facebook for more information. Update The winner is @Leanne_Adachi !!
We love going for trail walks through Stanley Park at any time of year but there’s just something extra special about autumn. It’s not here just yet, but there’s much to look forward to. Bright greens turn to fiery reds and oranges, leaves crunch underfoot and the crisp air tickles your nose while squirrels scurry to stock pile for the season.
The Stanley Park Ecology Society works year-round with the public thanks to a network of members and volunteers. Here are just a few of their upcoming events and workshops for fall 2012.
Arachnipalooza
Type of Event: Walk
What: Kids can learn about 8-legged creatures and how they survive in our ecosystem.
When: Sunday, September 16, 2012 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Cost: $10 non SPES members and $5 members, children and seniors
More Info
Introduced Invaders
Type of Event: Walk
What: Learn about invasive species in Stanley Park.
When: Sunday, September 23, 2012 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Cost: $10 non SPES members and $5 members, children and seniors
More Info
Fungus Among Us
Type of Event: Walk
What: Learn the interesting names and fun facts about Stanley Park’s fungal flora.
When: Sunday, October 7, 2012 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Cost: $10 non SPES members and $5 members, children and seniors
More Info
All of the walks start out from the Stanley Park Nature House which is located along Lost Lagoon, just below Alberni & Chilco.
Oil Spills and Stanley Park
Type of Event: Special AGM Presentation
What: Join Lance Barrett-Lennard (Vancouver Aquarium), Ben West (Wilderness Committee) and Robyn Worcester (SPES).
Where: West End Community Centre (on Denman at Haro)
When: Monday, October 22, 2012 from 6:45pm to 9:00pm
Cost: Free, open to the public
For all of these events, walks, and workshops check out the Stanley Park Ecology Society’s event listings and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Simon Fraser University opened its doors to students for the very first time 47 years ago this week, on September 9th, 1965.
The official opening was presided over by Lord Lovat, whose name was Simon Fraser, and who was the 24th head of the Fraser clan. He told an audience of 5,000 about the Fraser family crest, which had been adapted and adopted by the university. “There are strawberries all over our crest because the name Fraser came originally from ‘la fraise,’ French for strawberry. Our ancestors came to Scotland by way of Normandy and England.” Simon’s second great-grandson, Donald Fraser of Fargo, North Dakota, beamed proudly from the audience. [Source: VancouverHistory]
The campus atop Burnaby Mountain was designed by Arthur Erickson and Geoffrey Massey, and from Terry Fox Field ato Convocation Mall and the Academic Quadrangle, it’s one of the region’s most-photographed learning centres making it this week’s Vancouver Icon feature.
Other Vancouver Icons posts include: Commodore Lanes, Siwash Rock, Kitsilano Pool, White Rock Pier, Main Post Office, Planetarium Building, Lord Stanley Statue, Vancouver Library Central Branch, Victory Square, Digital Orca, The Crab Sculpture, Girl in Wetsuit, The Sun Tower, The Hotel Vancouver, The Gassy Jack Statue, The Marine Building, and The Angel of Victory. Should you have a suggestion for the Vancouver Icons series please feel free to leave a note in the comments. It should be a thing, statue, or place that is very visible and recognizable to the public.
