QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK: From a Gravel Quarry to a Place of Beauty

Beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver started out as a basalt quarry owned by the C.P.R.  The quarry was officially closed in 1911 but the land was left like an ugly scar on the landscape for nearly two decades.  In 1940 the site was given the name of Queen Elizabeth Park after the 1939 visit of King George VI and his consort, Elizabeth. But it wasn't until 1949 that anything was done to transform the site by the Parks Board.  The quarry was then planted as an arboretum with the intention of displaying all the tree species native to Canada.

B.C. Dogwood

Other trees were planted too, including this Lebanese Cedar which was a gift to the park.

The main quarry was developed next and by 1969 Mr. Prentice Bloedel donated over a million dollars toward a new plaza, waterways, fountains and the domed Bloedel Floral Conservatory.

Today the Park is a favorite location for weddings and family excursions. It's a pleasure to stroll among the floral displays and gardens or to enjoy some spectacular scenic city views.

One winter or rainy days be sure and visit the Bloedel Conservatory which is filled with tropical plants and a hundred free flying exotic birds.  http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/bloedel/index.htm

Or stop for a meal at the Seasons in the Park Restaurant (open daily) www.vancouverdine.com/season-park

The Park is located off 33rd Avenue between Cambie and Main Street.

www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth





BLOSSOM TIME AT VAN DUSEN GARDENS

One Sunday recently I went to Van Dusen Gardens to see the cherry blossoms.  It was one of our first really mild days so I made it a day for my first picnic of the year too.  Not too many of the flower beds were blooming, but there were many blossoming trees and shrubs which made it a pleasant, picturesque walk.

These lovely gardens, located at 37th and Oak Street in the city and easily accessible by public transit, have been developed on property that once belonged to the Canadian Pacific Railway and later leased by the Shaughnessy Golf Club from 1911 - 1960 when the golf club moved to a new location.  The CPR wanted to subdivide but this was opposed and in 1966 Van Dusen Botanical Garden Association was formed to assist the Vancouver Park Board with developing the site. The development started in 1971 and was officially opened to the public August 30, l975.

The garden covers 22 hectares (55 acres) and is a spectacular collection of plants from around the world representing ecosystems from tropical South Africa to the Himalayas, South America, the Mediterranean and plants native to the Pacific Northwest and other parts of North America.  No matter what season you, there's always something beautiful to see.

At this time of year, cherry blossom time, I specifically wanted to visit because every year in Vancouver they hold a Japanese haiku poetry contest.  Van Dusen Gardens has many Japanese cherry trees and there is a stone engraved with some of the haiku that people have written about the trees.

One of the very first haiku I can remember reading was one by Basho, and it got me interested in the haiku verse form.  "This day on which the cherry blossom fell has drawn to its close."  The translated forms of haiku, written in English are usually three lines of 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables, although the American version varies to sometimes shorter lines.  The haiku is usually about nature and the finally line will leave a lasting visual impression.

I enjoyed strolling around the pathways of the Gardens, discovering new shrubbery in bloom and even some sculptures.

Even though it was still early in the season, there were many flowers in bloom as well as the shrubbery and trees.

Rhododendron blossoms



The garden design has displays of plants in picturesque settings, to illustrate botanical relationships such as the Rhododendron Walk.  The gardens are set amidst rolling lawns, small lakes and rock work.

There are some areas that represent specific origins such as the Sino Himalayan Garden, and this beautiful pavilion honoring the Koreans.



There's always something interesting to see at Van Dusen, no matter what the season!  It's open seven days a week. There's a restaurant on the site if you want to stop for a meal.  Or why not take along a picnic lunch like I did?

For Admissions and other information:  www.vandusengarden.org

I LOVE TRAINS! An Afternoon of Fun Riding the Burnaby Central Railway

I've always loved trains.  When I was little living on the prairies the train ran through our town, Lloyminster Sask., and I loved watching it pass by from the field where we children played.  We were always warned to run home though when the jigger cars came by as they were usually itinerant workers scouting jobs on the farms and heaven knows who they were or where they'd come from.  I remember a day I was playing in the field across from our house with one came by and my friend called out "Run to beat the band!"  I'd never heard that expression before and thought it sounded very exciting!

When my family moved to Stratford during the years Dad was overseas, we lived at my grandparent's home.  Grandpa was a mechanical engineer and worked for the railway.  I knew he worked at the CNR shops as a foreman but didn't realize til years later that he was actually a mechanical engineer and had some hand in developing the first diesel engine. 

So trains have been in my blood.  And that very long cross-Canada train trip from Stratford to Vancouver when I was twelve years old was the adventure of a lifetime.  And on that trip the historical fiction writer in me was born.

I still like trains, though I seldom get to ride on them.  But this weekend I spent an afternoon Confederation Park in Burnaby where there is a miniature train museum, the Burnaby Central Railway, and miniature trains of every type: diesel, steam, electric.  The engines and some of the box-cars and cabooses are exact models of real trains and in between are seats for passengers.  For $2.50 you get a 10 - 15 minute ride through the woods, over trestles and under tunnels.  Great fun!

At the Rainbow Creek Station you'll find all amenities including a railroad museum with RR paraphernalia.  There's picnic sites and a place for private parties. That day a group were celebrating some children's birthdays. 

The tracks and trains are built and maintained by the BC Society of Model Engineers  www.bcsme.org
The railway is located behind Confederation Park in North Burnaby at Hastings & Willingdon Ave, behind the park on the foreshore area.  The railway operates weekends and holidays 11 am - 5 pm from May to October.  It's not only for kids.  Lots of adults were riding it the day I went there.
Contact 604-291-0922  or www.burnabyrailway.org

It was all a pleasant surprise for me as I didn't even know about this railway.  I've been on the one at Stanley Park and Bear Creek in Surrey.  I thought this was a more exciting ride.  So take some time to visit and enjoy being a kid again!

WALKS WITH RUTHAKI #1: WALK, JOG, CYCLE, SKATE: The Stanley Park Seawall

Last weekend I went on my first long sea-wall walk in Stanley Park.  It doesn’t matter what kind of weather, you’ll always find walkers, joggers, cyclists and in-line skaters on seawall. It was the first spring-like weekend of the year and a good day for a brisk tour around one of Vancouver's most popular walks.

I started my walk from the Park entrance, walking along by the Yacht Club, going east toward Brockton Point.
The Stanley Park seawall is 8.8 kms  (5.5 mi) so I don't usually attempt the whole circuit. People have been enjoying this seaside path since 1917 but it wasn’t until the mid ‘70’s when the walk was properly surfaced making it an easier route for walkers, joggers and cyclists. The seawall loop around Stanley Park is one of Vancouver’s most popular locations to enjoy the outdoors. The path is divided making it easier and safer for pedestrians and those on wheels. Remember to check the park map for signs indication direction as cyclists can only go in a counter-clockwise direction.

There are interesting sights along the way and benches lining the path if you need to pause for a rest. You might also consider a horse-drawn carriage ride around the Park which is loads of fun.  You can also rent bikes.

Be sure and stop to see the totem poles at the Brockton Point Oval. And past that is the famous 9-o'clock gun that booms out over Coal Harbour to mark the time every night.  There's also the historic Dead Man's Island, now the naval reserve, but once a First Nations burial ground.  Next you'll come to the Brockton Point Lighthouse.  In the early settlement days, there was a small village near here where ship-jumpers lived with their native wives. 

This part of the walk will take you all the way around to Lumberman’s Arch.  This was once the site of a First Nations village. There's a children's water-park here and even though there wasn't water to frolic in, there were plenty of kids enjoying fun on the adventure equipment there.

 From here you can cut back through the park to the entrance. There are refreshment stands at Brockton Point, Lumberman’s Arch, and by the Aquarium if you want to take a coffee or snack break. You'll also find washroom facilities there.

I stopped on the beach here for my first picnic of the season and rested awhile enjoying the view of the snow-capped mountains of North Vancouver and the busy waterway of Burrard Inlet and the inner harbour.

From here I walked back through the park on a quest to find cherry blossoms, but because of the late season there weren't any in bloom around the Japanese memorial for WWI.  I stopped at the Aquarium to view the Belugas in their outdoor pool.  Then I walked along the trails to the Pavilion and bus depot.

On my next Sunday sea-wall walk I'll take a different route.  There's lots to see in the Park and it makes for a relaxing, refreshing afternoon to enjoy the day on the sea-wall.
Bike and Rollerblade rentals are located near Denman and Georgia St.

Stanley Park Cycle: 768 Denman St. 604-688-0087

Stanley Park Rentals: 1798 W. Georgia St. 604-688-5141

For a map of the seawall: http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley