Vancouver’s Seawall has been a work in progress since 1917, and over the last 100 years it has grown from a retaining wall into a 28km seaside path for runners, walkers, strollers, and cyclists. The Vancouver Seawall stretches from Coal Harbour, around Stanley Park, through to Sunset Beach, False Creek, over to Granville Island, under the Burrard Bridge, to Vanier Park and through Kitsilano to Spanish Banks. Today, it’s actually the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path!
While on a walk on the popular route with my father a few weeks ago he commented about how he never did the full Seawall loop around Stanley Park as a kid growing up in Vancouver – he couldn’t have. It wasn’t until 1980 that the paved circumference path around the park was completed.
1930, James Crookall, Archives# CVA 260-312.
TIMELINE 1917: Park Board master stone mason Jimmy (James) Cunnningham began building the Stanley Park Seawall. Much of its incremental progress was overseen by Cunningham from the late 1920s until his retirement 35 years later.
1940s: The extent of the Sea Wall at the time. Photo by Jack Lindsay. Archives# CVA 1184-2402.
Jimmy (James) Cunningham was born in 1878 on the Isle of Bute in Scotland. He came to Canada from Scotland in 1910, then served in WWI with Canadian Expeditionary Force. He worked extensively as a stonemason, including UBC, Vancouver homes, pools at Lumberman’s Arch, Second and Kits beaches, Empress and Banff Springs hotels. In 1917, he began building the Stanley Park seawall. In 1931, he was named master stonemason for Vancouver Parks Board to secure Stanley Park’s shores. Cunningham began the route at Brockton, supervising the building of the lighthouse and seawall around the point. He retired in 1955 but supervised the wall until his death, completing three miles. [Source]
1948 Photo by W.E. Frost, Archives# CVA 447-129 // 2010 Photo by
Junnn on Flickr
TIMELINE 1968: The Stanley Park Seawall had had 1,200 lineal feet added
1966: Archives# CVA 1502-1000.
TIMELINE 1980: The remaining 1.5 miles in the Siwash Rock area were completed
1890s, Siwash Rock, Archives# M-3-17.1 // 2009 Photo by
m1i1k1e1 on Flickr
TIMELINE September 26, 1971 from the Vancouver Sun via Vancouver History: “The last stone was laid in the Stanley Park Seawall. Midway between Prospect Point and Siwash Rock a small group of dignitaries—watched by about 150 spectators—gathered with trowels and dollops of cement to tap the wall’s last block into place. The group included H.H. Stevens, 92, who as Conservative MP for Vancouver riding at the time had been one of the seawall’s original promoters. In 1920 Stevens would arrange for 2,300 unemployed men to work on the wall.
One person who, regrettably, wasn’t present at the ceremony—he had died in 1963—was a man who had spent more than 30 years working on the wall. His name was Jimmy Cunningham, a master stonemason, and so dedicated to the work that he once left his sickbed and went down to the wall in his pyjamas to see how his crew was doing. His ashes are tucked away within the wall in an unmarked location. Jimmy and his crew gave us something wonderful.”
TIMELINE September 21, 1980: The entire Seawall loop around Stanley Park was declared officially completed with the final paving between Third Beach and Second Beach. A plaque at Siwash Rock was erected in memory of Cunningham.
I love this quote from the Vancouver Sun on the day of the Seawall’s completion: “The wall was conceived to prevent erosion of the park’s foreshore, but would accomplish something else just as important: the most magnificent 9-kilometre 28-kilometre walk in Canada.”
For more Stanley Park Seawall history and information, check out my two part series for Tourism Vancouver: Waterfronts 1 and Waterfronts 2.
Film festivals mean great parties (on top of great movies) and this year the Vancouver International Film Festival is stepping up its closing night celebration by hosting “VIFF Wrap“, a finale where 1,000 revellers will partake in an immersive celebration incorporating film, digital content and music.
VIFF Wrap Closing Night Party
Normally an invite only event, this year VIFF is opening the doors to celebrate with friends, filmmakers and fans. Come party with VIFF on Friday, October 9, 2015 at the Rocky Mountaineer Station (1755 Cottrell St) from 9:00pm until late.
The event will be a unique immersive experience into a visual celebration of film, digital and music including:
- Interactive graffiti wall
- Social wall, sound clouds and experience spheres
- Electric entertainement from the Damn Fools and international DJ star, DJ Rhiannon
- Drink tickets and canapes provided
- Tickets $75
VIP packages include:
- All of the above plus
- A ticket to the VIFF’s closing night gala screening of I Saw the Light with reserved seating
- Special reserved area inside the party with extra cool cocktails and canapes
- Mingle with the our fabulous performers, Damn Fools and DJ Rhiannon
- VIP tickets $150
Purchase tickets online to ensure your spot at the party of the season. The Vancouver International Film Festival (“VIFF”) runs September 24th to October 9th, presenting 355 films including 238 feature films, 32 World Premieres, 33 North American Premieres, and 53 Canadian Premieres. Festival-goers can expect to experience a diverse selection of films from around the world in 2015.
Stay connected with VIFF for updates and announcements by following @VIFFest on Twitter and pick up your program guide at locations across the Lower Mainland for more information.
Miss604 is a proud Media Partner of the Vancouver International Film Festival
I love taking a walking tour of Vancouver and learning something new. Having published hundreds of history posts over the years, I’d like to think my knowledge is pretty vast but when I have an excellent guide like Maurice Guibord, Historical Researcher and Director of the BC Historical Federation, my head fills with even more interesting facts and I feel even more passionate about my city.
Intracorp, who is excited to move into the West End with their new development, The Jervis, invited Maurice to tour around a group of local media around the West End earlier this summer to show off some of the neighbourhood’s unique architecture and history.
We snapped photos of tiles, foyers, grand entrances, brick work, and learned about the people that have made this part of town great – from the Three Greenhorns to Jim Deva.
Share Some West End Love…
What I love about the West End is that when you walk in from one of its three major streets, Robson, Denman or Davie, you hear birds chirping, neighbours chatting, and kids playing — but you’re still in the centre of a metropolis. You have the best urban park in the world on one side, a world class city on another, and beaches all around the rest. I’ve called the West End home for 10 years now and from its small businesses and cafes to convenient retail options and proximity to both the Downtown Core and Stanley Park, I can’t imagine living anywhere else in Vancouver.
Enter to Win a West End Prize Pack
Intracorp is crazy about their new neighbourhood too and they want to share it with you. They’ve supplied a $100 gift card for Exile Bistro and a Fuji Instax camera so that one lucky Miss604 reader can have their own dinner and photowalk in the West End. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment naming what you love about the West End, if you’re a resident or a visitor who loves the beaches, the park, shops, restaurants, etc. (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, September 30, 2015.
About The Jervis
Renowned designers Niels and Nancy Bendsten, principals of Vancouver’s Inform Interiors and leaders in the modernist movement, have formed a unique architectural design partnership with national developer Intracorp. This partnership has created The Jervis: modern, design forward homes that complement their dynamic West End neighbourhood. Intracorp is working with InForm and the City of Vancouver to create a socially sustainable development that offers 58 market homes and 28 non-market suites, along with lively street level retail.
Set in a prime West End location on Jervis Street, The Jervis is close to a vibrant community of flourishing businesses, award-winning restaurants and beautiful parks and beaches. The Jervis will fill the needs of young families, urban professionals and downsizers equally well, fostering an integrated community of unique, truly liveable homes.
Update The winner is Shuko Johner!
Bacon lovers rejoice! Urban Digs Farms has a festival just for you this weekend as they celebrate all things crispy, smokey, and cured. The 6th annual Baconfest takes place September 26th featuring local craft beer, live music, farm gate shopping, and of course, bacon.
Baconfest at Urban Digs Farm
Where: Urban Digs Farm @ 4992 Byrne Road, Burnaby
When: Saturday, September 26, 2015 from 6:00pm to 10:30pm
Tickets: Available for purchase online for $5 and at the door for $10 while supplies last. Admission is free for Urban Digs members.
Baconfest will feature a selection of dishes all featuring bacon such as grilled Irish bacon buns, pork bacon hot dogs, smoked chicken and bacon sandwiches, Oceanwise Sockeye salmon with maple bacon topping, bacon veggie plates, bacon dessert plates, and more.
Follow Urban Digs Farm on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
The good thing about a torrential downpour in Metro Vancouver, once everyone’s hung up the Gore-Tex and taken shelter indoors, is that when the clouds clear, our region returns to being lush and lively. If we’re lucky, the sun peeks through, bounces off downtown buildings or moisture-filled clouds clinging to the North Shore, and we get a rainbow.
To brighten your Tuesday morning, I have put together a collection of photos featuring Rainbows Over Vancouver:
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