| In 1886, Vancouvers first City council made a | | | | and it is located on the Pacific Flyway where it gives |
| momentous decision by petitioning the federal | | | | shelter for over 200 species if migrating and resident |
| Government of Canada to lease 1,000 acres of a | | | | waterfowl, seabirds and songbirds. |
| largely logged peninsula for park and recreation | | | | There is plenty to see and do in the park. You can |
| purposes. Following the establishment of the fledgling | | | | easily spend the whole day here with no trouble at all. |
| citys first official greenspace, Council then decided to | | | | During the summer there is a free shuttle bus that |
| set up an autonomous and separately elected | | | | takes you throughout the park. It is a mini tour of |
| committee to govern all park and recreation | | | | the park with the driver giving you some background |
| developments. And so the Vancouver Board of Parks | | | | on the different areas. |
| and Recreation was born, one of the only elected | | | | You can bike, walk, drive, rollerblade, and travel |
| bodies of its kind in Canada. The system now | | | | throughout the park any other way you want. The |
| includes over 200 parks but its heart remains in the | | | | fact that the park is minutes away from downtown |
| cool, lush, evergreen oasis of Stanley Park named for | | | | makes it a convenient trip from anywhere in |
| Lord Stanley, Governor General of Canada in 1888 | | | | Vancouver. |
| when the park was officially opened. | | | | The park was one of the nicest places we visited in |
| Yearly visits to this, North Americas third largest | | | | Vancouver. Close to the park there is also a new |
| urban park, are estimated at 8 million people. Originally | | | | shopping and residential district. It makes a beautiful |
| home to Musqueam and Squamish First Nations | | | | place to take a walk and enjoy the shoreline. There |
| people. Stanley Park as you see it today was not | | | | is also a small marina there where you can rent a |
| one designers grand scheme but more an evolution | | | | boat or go on a cruise. The views are great and it |
| of a pioneer citys hopes and dreams: a place for its | | | | would be a wonderful place to live. |
| citizens to recreate themselves through active sport | | | | We plan to settle in Vancouver after a few years |
| or passive repose. | | | | and buy one of those condos with a view of the |
| Stanley Park is home to a variety of ecosystems, | | | | ocean, Vancouver and Stanley Park. You cannot beat |
| from the shoreline surrounding the park to the West | | | | the weather there in the summer and the beauty is |
| Coast rainforest that dominates it and the | | | | something you have to see for yourself. |
| freshwater environments dotted throughout. Douglas | | | | If you are in Vancouver take a trip to Stanley Park. |
| Fir, Western Hemlock, and Western Red Cedar are | | | | It is a great place to spend a couple hours or a |
| the pillars of the first with a myriad of native plants | | | | couple days. There are plenty of things to do. It is a |
| growing in the understory. This urban park abounds | | | | great place for a picnic or game of soccer. |
| with wildlife such as raccoons, squirrels, and coyotes | | | | |