Visit Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canada

According to one website, Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canada, is known as Vancouver's "playground."

Named for Lord Stanley of Preston, the park honors the Governor General of Canada in the late 19th century. The land was originally a military base to defend the area against attacks from the United States. In 1886, Vancouver was incorporated as a city. A year later, the land was set aside for the purpose of establishing a park. The result is Canada's largest public-funded park, a total of approximately 1000 acres.

Encompassed in those 1000 acres are a seawall/bike route around the park, hundreds of miles of trails within the park, an outdoor swimming pool, an aquarium and zoo, two freshwater lakes, several major restaurants, and the HMCS Discovery-a naval museum, the existence of which many visitors are unaware.

By 1913, 50,000 visitors a week were coming to the park. It has grown more popular over the years, especially with the widespread use of the automobile and other modern forms of transportation.

One website suggests spending at least a full day to explore the park, but given all the things to see, more than one day will be necessary. My wife and I took a tour through the park and benefited from the guide's commentary on various points of interest. A tour is probably the best way to get an overview of the park. To get more than a nodding acquaintance would have required more time than we had available.

The high point in the park is crowned with a beautiful flower bed. From that point, the visitor can see a panoramic view of Vancouver and the surrounding area.

Among the park's attractions are its trees which create the illusion of a forest in the city. One tree was featured in National Geographic in 1978. The tree was considered to be an impressive example of a Western Red Cedar. Time and weather have reduced its size, but it is still 130 feet high.

On December 15, 2006, the park suffered major damage from a windstorm that had been preceded by heavy rains, winds, snow, and ice that had pounded the area in November and December prior to the windstorm itself struck. The storm uprooted trees, snapped others off at ground level, and sheared off major branches leaving trees that had to be taken down.

Although the appearance of the park has been changed drastically and will remain so for some time to come, park officials are looking forward to seeing how the park renews itself.

Sources:

www.englishbay.com/rec/thepark.htm
www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/Canada/Province_of_British_Columbia/Vancouver-903183/Things_To_Do-Vancouver-Stanley_Park-BR-1.html#0