Stanley Park, Urban park in Vancouver, Canada
Stanley Park is a city park on the north shore of the peninsula between English Bay and Burrard Inlet in Vancouver. The place encompasses forests of tall cedars and Douglas firs, several beaches of sand and pebbles, and lawns with views across the bay and mountains beyond.
Indigenous peoples used the land for thousands of years for fishing, hunting, and ceremonial gatherings before the city declared it the first public park in 1886. Governor Lord Stanley dedicated the place in 1889 and named it after himself, while the coastal road was later built as a promenade.
Nine totem poles at Brockton Point were carved by artists from several First Nations and display crests and legends of their communities. Visitors walk among the poles and see figures such as eagles, bears, and thunderbirds that tell stories about kinship and territory.
A paved path circles the entire shoreline and works well for walking, cycling, or inline skating with water views. Access is available from several points on the northeast and south sides, with maps at entrances showing routes and facilities.
Some cedars in the forest are over seven hundred years old and reach heights exceeding seventy-five meters, making them among the oldest living organisms in the city. Their root systems stabilize the slopes and create habitat for ferns, mosses, and fungi on the forest floor.
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