George Wainborn 1912-2003

Park Board Remembers Longest Serving Commissioner

September 22, 2003 (No. 54) - Former Vancouver Park Board Commissioner George Wainborn, who passed away last week at the age of 91, will be mourned and remembered by the Park Board. He was the longest serving Park Commissioner, contributing to the city's parks and recreation system for 33 years between 1956 and 1990. A few of his many accomplishments included:

• turning the damage of trees felled in 1962's Typhoon Frieda into the opportunity to create Stanley Park's Miniature Railway in the storm-cleared area;
• playing a key role in starting the Christmas Carol Ships program and Christmas Train in Stanley Park;
• lighting of the magnificent grove of elm trees at Beach Avenue and Bidwell Street each Christmas season;
• co-chairing the City's 75th anniversary celebrations in 1961, which included the development of Queen Elizabeth Park's North Quarry Garden.

Commissioner Wainborn was a recipient of the Freedom of the City in 1991 and the Order of Canada in 1999.

The Park Board has named the park site located at the foot of Richards Street and Pacific Boulevard "George Wainborn Park". The first phase of this new waterfront park will be completed late this year and the remainder is slated to open the summer of 2004.

Park Board Chair Heather Deal expressed condolences on behalf of the present Commissioners as well as parks and recreation staff, adding that "We can never thank George Wainborn enough for making Vancouver more vibrant and more livable. His three decades of service as a commissioner exceed anyone's definition of public service."

Contact: Joyce Courtney, Communications Manager, phone: 604-257-8699

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation maintains 200 parks and 40 major facilities throughout the City of Vancouver. The Park Board's mission is to provide, preserve and advocate for parks and recreation services to benefit people, communities and the environment.