The China Creek Skate Park in East Vancouver is one of the city’s most popular. An interesting tale of community in itself, the skate park was built in 1979 (which makes it one of Canada’s oldest) and in 2006 the skateboarding community rallied to save the park as its future was threatened in a proposed beautification project. However, under the spraypaint tags and concrete there’s an even larger story to tell about China Creek.

Photo credit: sashafatcat on Flickr

Winding back to the beginning of the park’s history, Charles Cleaver Maddams, a Mount Pleasant settler, bought five acres of land on the south shore of False Creek in 1888 and because of a nearby Chinese farm, he named the area (and the creek) China Creek. In the 1920s he gave the land to the city which then wasn’t developed until the 1950s.

Now a quick reminder, in those days False Creek’s shoreline came all the way into where Clark Drive is today. As the False Creek back-fill began around the time of the first World War, railways and transportation from New Westminster to Vancouver was the priority. However, something had to be done about the dozens of creeks filled with life, such as spawning salmon, flowed down to the False Creek flats.

Chuck Davis explains more is the following post from Vancouver History that references an article by Randolf Kjorrefjord, published by Vancouver Community College in 1951 when construction began on China Creek Park:

The China Creek system was the largest drainage basin in Vancouver, with over 60 kilometres of creeks that converged at Clark Drive and 11th Avenue. Its name originated from a Chinese pig farm in that vicinity during the early 1880s. If the four creeks that fed Trout Lake are included, a total of nine creeks made up the entire China Creek system, which had the task of draining the district lying between Victoria Drive and Knight Road as far south as 45th Avenue.

1950 – China Creek. VPL Accession Number: 81146. Photographer: Artray.

This great drainage system also had a rather impressive ravine, about 200 feet across at street level where it crossed Broadway, and north towards 7th Avenue. The ravine’s depth varied between 30 and 40 feet, over a distance of some 2,000 feet. During the 1920s and 30s, the City used China Creek ravine as a garbage dump. Eventually, local residents complained of the smell and potential health risk. In 1951, the mighty China Creek that had flowed for so many years and functioned as home to fish and young boys alike, was finally put to rest in a pipe.

In July of 2005, Terry Glavin wrote “Rivers Run Beneath Us” in the Georgia Straight:

Try to imagine, underneath streets of East Vancouver, a small river, with at least eight major tributaries, pulsing nutrient-bearing salmon in ancient cycles throughout a vast area of forest and marsh bounded by East 41st on the south, Grandview Highway on the north, and the hill country around Victoria Drive on the east.

The little river ended up with the delicate-sounding name of China Creek, and its estuary used to be in the vicinity of Great Northern Way and Clark Drive. Back then there was a broad, shallow arm of the sea where the railyards are now. Terminal Avenue runs through the middle of a place that was once watery and alive with sturgeon, oolichan, flounder, salmon, crab, mussels, and clams.

Stories like these put the yellow, painted image of a fish near a storm drain in a whole new light.

You can discover more of the Lost Creeks of Vancouver on the City’s website. Get involved and learn even more about the False Creek area’s biodiversity through a series of walks, stories, and community maps available throughout the month of March and April. A part of the “Water Beneath Our Feet” project, a public open house will also take place tomorrow, March 31st at Rhizome Cafe (317 East Broadway).

China Creek has been nominated for the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s “Places that Matter” campaign along with over 200 other sites. You can vote for your favourite places now on voting form 1 and form 2.

The other day I traveled about 10kms away from my home in downtown Vancouver and ended up at a 2.5 hectare farm on the North Shore. Maplewood Farm‘s rural heritage in a rapidly expanding urban setting is a rarity and I wanted to learn more about their history, experiences, and educational programs.

Operated by the Parks Department of the District of North Vancouver and a collaboration of volunteers and full time staff, the farm is home to over 200 domestic animals from birds to ponies. Kids can feed the ducks who come to visit, watch a hand-milking demonstration, sign up for pony rides, meet farm hands and volunteers, look in on feeding time with the pigs and Belgian draft horses, and witness the “running of the goats” each day when they go from their paddock to the barn for supper.

The rules are simple at Maplewood. Don’t feed the animals, don’t chase the birds, no loud noises, no swimming with the ducks, and no climbing on the fences. Other than that, kids have free-reign (with adult supervision) to explore the property. During my visit, there were dozens of children, probably between 2 and 5 years old, with their parents feeding ducks and hanging out with the Goat Hill Gang. It’s a great way to teach your kids about the farm animals they may read about in books, and allows them to learn about respecting these creatures.

According to Find Family Fun, they also host special seasonal events like the Sheep Fair, Country Fair, Pumpkin Day, and the annual Country Christmas. Admission prices range from free (children 0-18 months) to $7 for adults (ages 17 and up). The farm is located just off Mount Seymour Parkway, about 2 minutes from the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, at 405 Seymour River Place, North Vancouver.

If you would like to check out the farm for yourself, I have a family pass available that is good until December, 2011. To win, please leave a comment on this post and I’ll draw a winner next Tuesday, April 5, 2011. You can follow the farm on Twitter @Maplewood_Farm.

Update The winner is Kelly – congratulations!

The very last ROXY All Star Snow Camp of the season is coming up in Whistler April 9-10, hosting beginner to expert riders. Snowboarders and skiers over the age of 19 are welcome to attend the “Ladies Only” camp to get coaching from top-level female skiers and riders for two full days at Whistler Blackcomb. 

Photo credit: Tyler Ingram on Flickr

While there, ROXY All Star Snow Camp participants can also enjoy shopping perks at the Quiksilver Store in Whistler Village, daily refreshments (coffee, muffins), contest prize opportunities, and an après reception at Merlin’s Bar. The camp, including lessons and lift pass, is $265 and they have offered this opportunity to one lucky Miss604.com reader. 

Photo credit: Tyler Ingram on Flickr

My contest winner will receive a pass for the camp April 9-10, 2011 as well as a 1-night stay at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Resort April 9th.

Here’s how you can enter to win:

 
On Facebook find: Whistler Blackcomb, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and Miss604. One winner will be drawn at 9:00am Monday, April 4, 2011.

Fine print: Hotel stay is for April 9th. No purchase necessary to enter, must be 19 years of age or older to enter and participate in the ROXY All Star Snow Camp.

Update The winner is Iris!
Update Unfortunately Iris cannot attend so the next winner is @jenniepetrie.

Velopalooza, Vancouver’s 2-week bike summer bike festival, and the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival present Bike the Blossoms, taking place Saturday April 16th, 2011 from 11:00am until 5:00pm.

Photo credit: Dream Dottie on Flickr

This day-long event features eight self-guided routes through various neighbourhoods where you can do the best cherry blossom viewing. If you prefer a guided ride, stop by Devonian Harbour Park (at Denman and Georgia) at 11:00am for a free bike tour. At the end of your route (whether you were on your own or along with the tour) there will be a celebration in MacLean Park (710 Keefer St at Heatley Ave in Strathcona) where you can get your bike washed, enjoy more blossoms, and have a picnic.

All routes are available in this PDF download or individually from the Velopalooza site.

Velopalooza is a volunteer-directed, community-based non-profit society focused on promoting cycling culture, events, and fun. The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival has a mission to sustain and renew Vancouver’s cherry tree heritage while educating and engaging community in celebration of the cherry blossom.

Vancouver’s 125th birthday celebration is coming up in just a few days however throughout the year dozens of community organizations are hosting their own series of events in honor of the city’s history so far. As a part of the Vancouver 125 series, the SFU Undergraduate Semester in Dialogue presents “Tales from Terminal City” April 2, 2011 at Performance Works on Granville Island.

Where Performance Works (1218 Cartwright St, Granville Island, Vancouver)
When 12:30pm registration (1:00pm Start) until 5:00pm April 2, 2011

Details It is free to attend but you will need to RSVP to reserve your spot. The day will have three workshops including gardening (urban agriculture projects), public art (join in a collaborative public art project), walking tours (learn more about Granville Island), and the main event is the dialogue. This is where participants will have the floor to share some of their favourite stories from Vancouver’s 125-year history (and beyond).

Follow @TalesofTerminal on Twitter for updates and future event notifications.