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Vancouver's Stanley Park
Stanley Park, Vancouver's first, is an evergreen oasis
of 1,000 acres close to the heart of Vancouver's downtown core. Its
natural west coast atmosphere offering a backdrop of majestic cedar,
hemlock and fir trees embraces visitors and transports them to an
environment rich in tranquility.
The park abounds in wildlife and its features appeal to
the naturalist, the plant lover or one who would do nothing more than
relax in beautiful surroundings. The Nature House, located on Lost
Lagoon's south side, offers educational materials as well as seasonal
walking tours.
Lost Lagoon is the haven for
many varieties of birds including swans, ducks and Canada geese. The
rushes and small islands in the lake make a natural nesting place for
the various species that live here.
A myriad of recreational facilities are available in Stanley Park
including a pitch and putt golf course bordered by the spring-blooming
Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden. At the Park's heart is the
formal Rose Garden surrounded by mass perennial plantings looking their
very best from April through September. The
Children's Farmyard, Miniature Railway, tennis courts,
bathing beaches, a children's water park, a heated ocean side swimming
pool, Theatre Under the Stars, the Vancouver
Aquarium and the 5.5 mile perimeter seawall round out the menu of what a
great public park offers. At the entrance to the Park you find many
places to rent a tandem bike or rollerblades. Refreshment stands along
with four restaurants are strategically placed throughout the park for
your convenience. Dogs must be leashed at all times and visitors are
asked not to feed Park animals or birds in order to keep our wildlife
"wild".
Situated just off the seawall beside the
Brockton Oval cricket pitch are eight totem poles. Each has a story that
breathes life into it. Each is connected to the land on which it stands
in more than just a physical sense.
In 2001 an interpretive centre was established by
constructing a separate structure housing working areas, lots of
signage, a gift shop for related items and a refreshment outlet. The
totem poles themselves were treated to un upgrade in the landscaping
around them. More signage was put in place to deal with the stories
related to each of them individually.
Traffic Note: Vehicular traffic in Stanley Park is one way and
counterclockwise. Pay parking of $1 for 1 hour or $5 for all day is
enforced from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
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