Victory Square (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Victory Square and Cenotaph

Victory Square, bordered by West Hastings Street to the northeast, West Pender Street to the southwest, Cambie Street to the southeast, and Hamilton Street to the northwest, stands at the intersection of the old Granville town site (AKA Gastown) and the CPR Town site, which was the downtown-designated land grant obtained by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) as part of the deal to locate the terminus and thereby found the city (the corner of Hastings and Hamilton is the northern tip of the CPR Townsite).

Check out “Gastown”

Hastings Street Side

The site of the Cenotaph is significant. In 1914, because of the strong royalist sentiment in the city, it was at tables at the foot of the old courthouse steps where enlistees signed up for the First World War.  The maple trees on the Pender Street side of the park are the oldest street trees in the city, planted in 1897.

Hamilton Street Side

It was, at one time, the grounds of the city’s provincial courthouse, which was torn down in 1911–13 when the new Francis Rattenbury-designed courthouse along Georgia Street was opened (now the Vancouver Art Gallery). The term is also used to refer to the neighborhood immediately surrounding the square.

Check out “Vancouver Art Gallery

Pender Street Side

Here’s the historical timeline of the square:

  • On February 13, 1886, an area of 3,600 sq. m. (0.9acres) out of the1.9 sq. km. (480 acres) allotted to the CPR was held aside as “Government Square.” The southwest corner of Hamilton and Hastings Streets is where L. A. Hamilton drove the first survey stake to commence laying out the street system for the city.
  • On 27 April 1924, the Victory Square Cenotaph was unveiled by His Worship William Reid Owen (Mayor of Vancouver), in the presence of an assemblage of 25,000 persons; naval, military and civilian, and including the Old Contemptibles7th British Columbia29th Vancouver (its chaplain, Major Cecil C. Owen M.B.E., V.D., D.D., dedicated the cenotaph), 72nd Seaforths2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles47th New Westminster, and 102nd North British Columbian Battalions, CEF, and others.

Pillar at Hastings Street side is decorated with a long sword and is engraved with the inscription “Their name liveth forevermore”and is kept continuously banked high with wreaths of flowers and adorned with national flags

The approximately 9.1 m. (30 ft.) tall, triangular (its shape conforms to that of the square) Victory Square Cenotaph , the Vancouver war memorial, was designed thus by Maj. G.L. Thornton Sharp (architect, town planner and park commissioner).  The 24-man (12 represented the Canadian Club of Vancouver and 12 the Civic War Memorial Committee) Vancouver War Memorial Committee, under the chairmanship of pioneer F.W. Rounsefell, Esq. (with J.R.V. Dunlop, of the Canadian Club, as honorary secretary), were the public-spirited sponsors.

Wreath at the base of the Hastings Street side

The word “cenotaph” (an empty tomb in memory of one buried elsewhere) is derived from the Greek word kenos (meaning “empty”) and taphos (meaning “tomb”).  The focus of the city’s annual Remembrance Day services, the Cenotaph lies at the foot of a gentle slope on the northern side of the square, on a plaza flanking Hastings Street. It is so placed that, when approached from the east, it appears in the distance centrally at the end of busy Hastings Street.

Wreath at Pender Street side

Made with gray Nelson Island granite (supplied by the Vancouver Granite Co., Ltd.), cost $10,666 and was erected by contractors Stewart who died from the effects of an accident whilst preparing the memorial) and Wylie. The pillar is engraved with suitable inscriptions and is kept continuously banked high with wreaths of flowers and adorned with national flags.

Inscription at Pender Street side that reads “All ye that pass by”

The stone ornamentations include one long sword and two wreaths (one of laurels, the other of poppies), both entwined with maple leaves.  The three corner buttresses are adorned by a stone replica of the steel helmet, as used in the war of 1914–1918.  The numerals “1914–1918,” at the base of the front, surrounds a larger wreath of laurels.

World War I helmet

A receptacle of three bronze maple leaves has slots that hold the staffs of the Union Jack, the Canadian Red Ensign, the Flag of Canada, the White Ensign, and RCAF Ensign, always flying, which are placed there by the Royal Canadian Legion and the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League, and renewed four times each year.

Sun Tower

One monument side faces busy Hastings Street (engraved inscription: “Their name liveth for evermore” and, within a stone wreath, “1914–1918″), the others Pender (engraved inscription: “All ye that pass by”) and Hamilton Streets (engraved inscription: “Is it nothing to you“). It is so placed that, when approached from the east, it appears in the distance centrally at the end of Hastings Street.

Flack Block (Copp Building)

Several historic buildings adjacent to Victory Square include the 13-storey, 53-m. (175 ft.) high, Second Empire-style Dominion Building (completed in 1910); the four-storey, Romanesque Revival-style Flack Block (or Copp Building, completed in 1900) and the 17 storey, 82 m. (269 ft.) high, Beaux-Arts-style Sun Tower (completed in 1912).

Dominion Building

Victory Square: VancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada.

Barnet Marine Park (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada)

Barnet Marine Park

On our fourth day in Vancouver, we drove 6.6 kms. to Barnet Marine Park, a small but beautiful and popular waterfront park, where we were to enjoy an afternoon outdoor picnic with family while sitting back taking and watching the action on the south shore of the spectacular, tanker-dotted Burrard Inlet (here’s a map of the picnic area).

A tanker at Burrard Inlet

As it was a sunny weekend, the main parking lot was already filled so we parked at the overflow parking above the highway right next to the Air Mountain Bike Park.

Located right along the north end base of Burnaby Mountain and across Burrard Inlet from Cates Park and Vancouver’s North Shore, on an important harvesting, gathering and processing site for the Coast Salish peoples, as well as the site of a century-old logging mill camp, this spectacular foreshore park, Burnaby’s only official saltwater beach, is perfect for a stroll and has ocean and mountain views. Although small in size, the park feels large as it is long and narrow, stretching for about 1.5 kms. along the waterfront.

 

Barnet was formerly a thriving logging community of the North Pacific Lumber Company (later the Barnet Lumber Company), one of the largest sawmills in the British Empire.  Established in 1889 (at the site of a new C.P.R. station), David MacLaren (the owner) named it “Barnet” after his wife’s family.

Foundation of Mill Wood Scrap Burner

Due to the Great Depression, the mill closed in 1931 and reopened in 1939 as the Kapoor Sawmills.  Destroyed by fire in 1946, plans to rebuild the mill to its former scale never materialized.  The community started to fade when the small replacement mill was finally dismantled in 1958.

Mill Wood Scrap Burner

Here, you can still see traces of the once prosperous mill such as the mill’s scrap burner as well as the concrete and brick foundations nearby.

Remains of Old Wharf

On the water are the remains of the old wharf (where processed timber bound for American and Asian ports was loaded), its pylons now nesting sites for birds.

Aside from the picnic (some in the shade) site, it has a designated dog off-leash area  allowing our dog Luffy to get some exercise. We had to keep your dog leashed everywhere else in the park (you also have to pick up after your dog and drop our waste bag in the designated bins). For sanitary reasons, they aren’t allowed on the beach. The sandier beach areas of the off-leash dog area are at the far west end of the park.

Sandy Beach

Rocky Beach

Along the shore are both rocky and nice sandy (at the far western end) beaches. The most popular beach is at the far eastern end as it’s closer to the parking lots and has both grassy and sandy areas.  Wildlife to be found here includes seals, crabs, geese and herons.

Geese

To enjoy a relaxing meal or a quick bite, there’s Park Cafe. Propane barbeques and charcoal and open-flame barbeques are also allowed at this park (you have to use the on-site ash pits to safely dispose of hot ashes).

Park Cafe

Accessible washrooms and changing rooms are located in the concession building, open year-round.  There are also outdoor showers for swimmers.

Concesson Building

Barnet Marine Park is an excellent spot to enjoy fishing from shore (just make sure you have a license). To explore the sheltered waters of Indian Arm or the Burrard Inlet, you can launch canoes, kayaks and sailing craft on the rocky or sandy beach.

Motorboat at Burrard Inlet

On the rocky beach, Cheska, Bryan and Kyle went paddleboarding but they had to carry everything down to the beach.

Bryan (with Kyle) and Cheska paddleboarding off the rocky beach

Trails here are either paved or crushed limestone, with benches available throughout. I traversed the length of Drummond’s Walk, a peaceful foreshore and upland walk named after former Mayor Douglas P. Drummond (1996-2002) in April 2006.

Start of Drummond’s Walk

Plaque

It was his favorite place to exercise. This flat and easy trail, suitable for all ages and fitness levels, runs 1,5 kms. from one end of the park to the other.

Drummond’s Walk

Along the path, I encountered grassy lawns and a large and impressive off-leash dog zone that includes multiple waterfront beaches. Here’s a map showing all the paths in the park.

Watching tankers go by at Drummond’s Walk

Barnet Marine Park: 8181 Barnet Rd, Burnaby, BC V5A 3G8, British Columbia. General inquiries: 604-294-7450. E-mail: parksrecandculture@burnaby.ca. Website: www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/parks/barnet-marine-park. Open from 7 am and closes at dusk between April and October. During May to September, the closing time changes with the increase in daylight hours. Park Café is open Friday to Sunday on ‘good weather’ days in the summer, 11:30 AM -6:30 PM.  If the weather looks wet and cold, call 604-297-4888 to confirm if the café is open. Since January 1, 2022, smoking has been banned in all City parks and multi-use paths.

Parking: the main parking lot (download map) is located on the south side of the rail line. The north (beach) side of the rail line is pedestrian only. Don’t park on the rail line. There are 6 accessible parking stalls located east of the park entrance, closest to the beach. Additional accessible parking stalls and surface parking are available to the east and west of park entrance on a first come, first served basis.

Additional parking is available farther to the west of the park entrance and on the other side of Barnet Rd where the Mountain Air Bike Skills Course (an incredible bike skills park located just across the Barnet Highway, it features an outdoor wood pump track for beginners to advanced mountain bikers that’s free to the public) is located. Accessible parking stalls at beach levelare available Monday to Friday, 9 AM-7 PM until September 1, 2023 (excluding statutory holidays). To check availability and obtain access, call park staff at 604-319-7083. Due to safety and operational concerns when the park is very busy, all beach-level parking (including accessible parking) are not available on weekends and statutory holidays.

How to Get There: The park is about 10 kms. (a 30-min. drive) from downtown Vancouver, and a 10-min. drive from Port Moody. Travel east on Hastings Street. Keep left on Inlet Dr/Barnet Rd and turn left onto the park at Takeda Drive. Get directions.