Stanley Park

Before it was a city park, this land was home to the Coast Salish peoples, including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations, for thousands of years. They utilized the abundant resources of the peninsula, establishing villages like Xwayxway and utilizing the cedar trees for canoes and longhouses. When European explorers arrived in the late 18th century, the area was eventually designated as a military reserve to protect the harbor, which inadvertently saved the forest from early logging and development. In 1888, the land was officially opened as Vancouver's first primary park and named after Lord Stanley, the Governor General of Canada at the time. Unlike other large urban parks, Stanley Park was not the creation of a landscape architect but rather an evolution of a forest and coastal space into a public sanctuary. The park's early years saw the construction of the iconic Lion's Gate Bridge and the development of recreational facilities that blended with the natural environment. Throughout the 20th century, the park became a symbol of Vancouver's identity, most notably with the construction of the Seawall, a project that took decades to complete. Initiated by stonemason James Cunningham, the Seawall was designed to prevent erosion but became the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront path. Today, the park remains a protected green space, balancing tourism with ecological conservation and the recognition of its deep Indigenous heritage.