Welcome to Burrard Inlet and Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC

This past weekend, my brother John, his wife Milena, and their friends, Clyde and Rianna came to Vancouver to board a ship for a cruise to Alaska and celebrate John and Milena's 39th wedding anniversary.  We had planned to head up the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Britannia Mine Museum but were unable to do so because a car crash had closed the highway, both north and south bound, for about four hours.  Plan B — go to Stanley Park.  Since both couples are from Greater Toronto, they had not really seen Stanley Park before,  so with great weather, we set to walking about.  I wanted to share this with you because it is a beautiful area of the world.  Maybe you'll want to visit.  BTW, you'll see reference to Port Moody being at the far eastern edge of Burrard Inlet — that's where I live, not too far from the water's edge. 

[Burrard Inlet] is divided into three distinct harbours, English bay or the outer anchorage [to the left]; Vancouver (formerly called Coal harbour) [central], above the First Narrows; and Port Moody at the head of the eastern arm of the inlet [to the far right].  Indian Arm extends straight north and travels 20 km north.  There is a large outcropping between English Bay and Coal Harbour (Vancouver) which is Stanley Park.

Stanley Park, Vancouver BC with the Lions Gate Bridge (first narrows) to the right spanning Burrard Inlet northward and joining Vancouver with West and North Vancouver.

We travelled from downtown where the others were staying to Stanley Park, a world reknowned park.

Stanley Park — Stanley Park is a 405-hectare (1,001-acre) public park that borders the downtown of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada and is almost entirely surrounded by waters of Vancouver Harbour and English Bay.

The park has a long history and was one of the first areas to be explored in the city. The land was originally used by indigenous peoples for thousands of years before British Columbia was colonized by the British during the 1858 Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. For many years after colonization, the future park with its abundant resources would also be home to nonaboriginal settlers. The land was later turned into Vancouver's first park when the city incorporated in 1886. It was named after Lord Stanley, a British politician who had recently been appointed governor general.

Unlike other large urban parks, Stanley Park is not the creation of a landscape architect, but rather the evolution of a forest and urban space over many years.^[2] Most of the manmade structures we see today were built between 1911 and 1937 under the influence of then superintendent W.S. Rawlings. Additional attractions, such as a polar bear exhibit, aquarium, and miniature train, were added in the post-war period.

Much of the park remains as densely forested as it was in the late 1800s, with about a half million trees, some of which stand as tall as 76 metres (249 ft) and are up to hundreds of years old.^[3][4] Thousands of trees were lost (and many replanted) after three major windstorms that took place in the past 100 years, the last in 2006.

Significant effort was put into constructing the near-century-old Vancouver Seawall, which can draw thousands of residents and visitors to the park every day.

The 2006 windstorm destroyed over 3,000 trees within Stanley Park, and even more all the way up Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm.  Most of the lost trees of Stanley Park were replaced over the next few years by large plantings following the clean up.

My brother, his wife, and their friends standing just above the Stanley Park seawall.

Looking east down Burrard Inlet from Stanley Park towards the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge with North Vancouver on the left and Vancouver docks and shipping cranes.

Vancouver downtown from the eastern seawall.  Just left of centre is the Vancouver Convention Centre with a roof that looks like sails.  It is from this area that cruise ships arrive in and leave Vancouver.

Siwash Rock was once called Slahkayulsh meaning he is standing up. In the oral history, a fisherman was transformed into this rock by three powerful brothers as punishment for his immorality.

North Vancouver shipyards and cargo loading for such products as the bright yellow sulphur seen near the middle of the picture, as seen from the seawall.

Totem Poles from the Coastal First Nations

Totem Poles

First Nations metal sculpture

Lighthouse Point, Stanley Park looking towards North Vancouver

Canada Geese in the foreground at Stanley Park with Vancouver  behind.

The seawall surrounds most of Stanley Park and is a favourite walk, run or cycle route for many.

From Stanley Park, we travelled north across the Lions Gate Bridge to North Vancouver.

Lions Gate Bridge — The Lions Gate Bridge, opened in 1938, officially known as the First Narrows Bridge,^[1] is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore municipalities of the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. The term "Lions Gate" refers to The Lions, a pair of mountain peaks north of Vancouver. Northbound traffic on the bridge heads in their general direction. A pair of cast concrete lions, designed by sculptor Charles Marega, were placed on either side of the south approach to the bridge in January, 1939.^[2]

The total length of the bridge including the north viaduct is 1,823 metres (5,890 feet). The length including approach spans is 1,517.3 m (4,978 ft), the main span alone is 473 m (1,550 ft), the tower height is 111 m (364 ft), and it has a ship's clearance of 61 m (200 ft). Prospect Point in Stanley Park offered a good high south end to the bridge, but the low flat delta land to the north required construction of the extensive North Viaduct.

The bridge has three reversible lanes, the use of which is indicated by signals. The centre lane changes direction to accommodate for traffic patterns. The traffic volume on the bridge is 60,000 – 70,000 vehicles per day. Trucks exceeding 13 tonnes (14.3 tons) are prohibited, as are vehicles using studded tires. The bridge forms part of Highways 99 and 1A.

On March 24, 2005, the Lions Gate Bridge was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

Here are several views of the Bridge and the lion sculptures that guard the south entrance.

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The snowcapped Lions mountains for which the bridge was named.

A very large cruise ship looking like it is just scraping under the bridge as it leaves Vancouver.

From Stanley Park looking north.

Lit up at night.

We drove along the north shore and crossed back to the south side of Burrard Inlet on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge.

Ironworkers Memorial Bridge — The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, also called the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and Second Narrows Bridge, is the second bridge constructed at the Second (east) Narrows of Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Originally named the Second Narrows Bridge, it connects Vancouver to the north shore of Burrard Inlet, which includes the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. It was constructed adjacent to the older Second Narrows Bridge, which is now exclusively a rail bridge. The First Narrows Bridge, better known as Lions Gate Bridge, crosses Burrard Inlet about 5 miles west of the Second Narrows.

The bridge is a steel truss cantilever bridge, designed by Swan Wooster Engineering Co. Ltd. Construction began in November 1957, and the bridge was officially opened on August 25, 1960. It cost approximately $15 million to build. Tolls were charged until 1963.

The bridge is 1,292 metres (4,239 ft) long with a centre span of 335 metres (1,099 ft). It is part of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1).

There is quite a tragic story that goes along with this bridge.  In 1958 during construction, several spans of the bridge collapsed into the ocean with ultimately 19 lives lost.  Here is a video about the collapse.

I hope you enjoyed this visit to Stanley Park and Burrard Inlet at Greater Vancouver, BC.  It is a beautiful part of Canada.