Rendering of East Park changes

Vancouver Park Board approves designs for an exciting new park on False Creek’s waterfront

November 5 2024 –

At last night’s Park Board meeting, Commissioners approved designs for the first phase of East Park, a new waterfront destination park on False Creek in Vancouver’s Olympic Village.

“The East Park Phase 1 concept plan represents an exciting new vision for this neighbourhood amenity and waterfront destination,” says Park Board Chair Brennan Bastyovanszky. “The designs introduce access to natural areas and large open spaces to support events as well as a variety of casual uses. I can’t wait to see the first phase of the East Park project come to life and I hope that residents and visitors see their feedback and aspirations reflected in the final plan.”

The concept for the 1.2-hectare park is shaped by the Guiding Principles (802 KB) for the design of parks in Northeast False Creek and by what we heard from the local First Nations and thousands of community members during two rounds of engagement, held in fall 2022 and spring 2024.

The concept plan features:

  • A songbird tree grove with a network of braided paths and shaded seating areas to offer a tranquil retreat for park users.
  • A large level lawn at the heart of the park designed to provide space for small-scale community events and casual gatherings.
  • A flexible active zone adjacent to the Creekside Community Centre to support additional fitness and recreation programming opportunities.
  • A variety of seating areas to offer accessible and comfortable places to enjoy the views of the water and mountains.  
  • Separated walking and cycling paths to provide safe and accessible routes along the water and throughout the park, connecting neighbourhoods, parks, and key community destinations.

Following collaboration with the Local First  Nations, the plan also includes opportunities for cultural recognition, education, and visual representation, including Indigenous artwork to support inter-generational knowledge transfer, and hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and  Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim languages woven throughout the area through wayfinding, signage, and place naming.

An official park name will be identified and announced through a separate naming process.

Next steps

Following Board approval, construction of Phase 1 is scheduled to begin on the south side of the project site in late 2026 and complete in late 2028.

Phase 2 of the East Park project, which includes the creation of a green and lush habitat at the shoreline, will commence following the completion of ongoing engineering studies for the deck and foreshore area.

In parallel with the project, City of Vancouver Engineering Services plans to upgrade the Ontario Greenway located along the west side of the park.

A new waterfront destination

The new park is identified in the Southeast False Creek Official Development Plan (2007) as one of three major parks envisioned as both a neighbourhood amenity and waterfront destination. The park will serve the more than 12,000 residents living within a 10-minute walk of the site, 34,000 residents living within a kilometre, as well as all those who visit, work, and play in the area. 

It is designed to help complete a connected open space network along the False Creek shoreline and provide a key linkage between Northeast and Southeast False Creek.

Learn more about the East Park project at www.shapeyourcity.ca/east-park