HOPE E. TREMBLAY
Stanley Park is celebrating its 70th birthday with its signature fundraiser Saturday evening. The money raised will benefit restoration of the iconic Rose Garden Fountain. Many a wish has been made there, many marriage vows taken in front of the fountain, many prom photos posed there, and I have also witnessed more than one toddler attempt to take a swim there. Although I did not get married in the park, my wedding photos were taken there, including in front of that fountain.
Growing up on Granville Road, I was a Stanley Park kid. I spent more time there I can remember. Whether I was playing soccer or tennis, feeding ducks, swinging in the big two-seater swing or walking through the beautiful gardens, Stanley Park was always THE place to be.
When I was young, there was no modern playscape. Nope. We had that metal slide that I swear was at least 20-feet tall. Climbing up it was like climbing Mount Everest to me and sliding down it on a hot summer day was, well, let’s say it wasn’t that much fun. Kids today will never know the burn of a hot metal slide, and as a mom I do not begrudge them this. They also don’t know the thrill of what I always called the merry-go-round. My fellow 40-somethings know what I’m talking about, right? We would pack more kids on there than clowns in a VW and the strongest and bravest kids would spin the rest of us and try to jump on. There were many casualties, and yet, we all dutifully took our turn.
I recall many picnics in the park. When I was in kindergarten at Juniper park school there were half-day schedules and when I was in the morning class, my grandmother would occasionally pick me up at school and take me to the park for a picnic. We didn’t head over to any of the numerous picnic tables. We didn’t go to the big pavilion or the playground. We would picnic in the Japanese Garden – my grandmother’s favorite spot.
In high school, my friends and I would often hang out at Stanley Park. We still walked through the gardens and fed the ducks, but we also ventured into the Wildlife Sanctuary for a hike and always brought the ingredients for a cookout, using the grills provided by the park.
In college when I was visiting home, I would occasionally walk the park alone seeking a bit of solitude. There are so many hidden gems throughout the park – statues and plaques with stories about former residents – that I always stumbled upon something interesting.
When I had my own children, Stanley Park was once again my go-to place for outdoor fun. We often met up with friends and spent time on the playscape, taking nature walks, stopping at the frog pond, and always playing in the giant sand box (I knew that the kids would need to empty their shoes and shake out all the sand from their pockets before stepping into the car).
I have had the pleasure of covering many events at the park as a journalist, and I highly recommend that if Stanley Park Managing Director Bob McKean offers you his behind-the-scenes tour, take it. From the greenhouse to the Carillon Tower, there is always a new space to explore when you have the right guide.
I have so many memories of Stanley Park through every stage of my life and I look forward to whatever stages come next as the park continues to evolve and remain a true treasure for the next 70 years and beyond.
