BC Day long weekend
Ideas for summer fun in Vancouver parks!

August 3 , 2007 (No. 49) - If you are staying home this BC Day long weekend, be a tourist in your own home town and discover Vancouver parks. Vancouverites can find summer fun in some old familiar green places.

Park Board staff picks!

Start your day in the cool morning hours at Stanley Park in the completely refurbished children's playground at Ceperley Meadow. Climb aboard the venerable red fire engine then pause for reflection at the stunning new Air India memorial wall overlooking the ocean. Hop on the free shuttle bus or ride a horse drawn carriage for a tour around the park. Then at Lumberman's Arch, get wet in the canon streams and showers of the spray park. Fortified by a tasty take out lunch at the nearby concession stand, drop into the Vancouver Aquarium's world beneath the waves for the afternoon. An early dinner at one of the classic park restaurants (Fish House, Sequoia Grill, Prospect Point Cafe or Stanley Park Pavilion) puts you right in line for evening tickets to Theatre under the Stars' lively musical performances at Malkin Bowl.

Mix & match other free or affordable, very local 'mini vacations' in parks, such as*

• The tranquil delights of a guided tour in the enchanting Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
• Horticultural beauty and ingenuity, plus dinner with a city view at Queen Elizabeth Park's quarry gardens and Seasons in the Park Restaurant
• The magnificent waterfront setting of Bard on the Beach under the performance tents in Vanier Park
• Ice cold refreshments on the patio at Mill Marine Bistro overlooking Coal Harbour and the kids water park
• Family fun and sport entertainment with Vancouver Canadians baseball at legendary Nat Bailey Stadium
• Long strolls and skyline vistas on remote, yet close, Spanish Banks, followed by a swim on the life-guarded beach
• Grazing on the green of beautiful VanDusen Botanical Garden with brunch at Shaughnessy Restaurant
• The dazzling Celebration of Light fireworks finale on English Bay and Vanier Park
• A spirited game of basketball on the new courts at Kits Beach and lunch at the contemporary Watermark Restaurant
• Lively Pride Parade and festival events on English Bay and Sunset Beach

*check local event and facility listings

If walking is more your thing, get fit while exploring nature, art, culture and history on park trails, tracks and jogging paths, through dozens of recommended Step Out Walks - details on distances and calories burned along with walking and safety tips and more inspiration can be found on www.activecommunitiesvancouver.ca.

For information on the over 200 neighbourhood and destination parks in Vancouver, check out their features, amenities, photos, maps and history in ParkFinder on vancouverparks.ca.

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For more information contact Joyce Courtney, Manager of Communications, at 604-257-8699.
www.vancouverparks.ca

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.