Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver

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Appropriately titled 'Photo Session' these bronze statues are popular tourist attractions at Queen Elizabeth Park

Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver is a beautiful space filled with hundreds of plant varieties and interesting activities. It is hard to believe this park was once a desolate landscape destroyed by early settlers to the region who needed building materials. However, with local interest and ingenuity the land was transformed into multiple sunken gardens and is a popular destination enjoy a game of pitch and putt or explore the top levels of the park in the Bloedel conservatory, watch the dancing fountains or enjoy the artwork found around the park. The tremendous effort to create a peaceful oasis in the suburbs of Vancouver has succeeded and the Park has become a popular destination.

Queen Elizabeth Park perched on aptly named Little Mountain in the centre of Vancouver, British Columbia is one of the largest parks, besides Stanley Park, in the region encompassing 130 acres of land.

Sitting 550 feet above sea level it is one of the highest points overlooking the downtown core to the north, the sea to the west and the city and valley to the east and south.

The area was not always a park; material needed for the construction of the new city came from Little Mountain which served as a gravel quarry before the 1930s. The desolate landscape we mostly untouched until the suggestion was made to transform the site into sunken gardens and in 1939 it was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth I and her husband King George during their visit to Vancouver in 1939 and named in the Queen's honour. Since then many improvements and additions have been made to the site. Flowers and trees were planted mainly in the old quarry region with hundreds of different species and growth periods making Queen Elizabeth Park a kaleidoscope of colours throughout the year.

The peak of Little Mountain serves as home to a few interesting architectural wonders. The Bloedel Conservatory filled with exotic plants and animals and has the distinction of being he first geodesic conservatory built in Canada. Outside the dome is a large 'dancing' fountain system with a large modern art instillation, "Knife Edge" by famous Canadian Henry Moore. The new Celebration Pavilion built with natural coastal products was built to accommodate weddings and other festivities. A large restaurant also sits atop the gardens with a beautiful view of the city and northwards to the Cascade Mountain range.

The surrounding park encompasses a variety of activities. Outside the garden, waterfalls and pond, there is a pitch and putt golf course, tennis courts, lawn bowling and a disc course.

The summer sees the highest level of activity with people coming to admire the beautiful quarry gardens as well as the popular Painter's Corner, an area reserved for local artists to display their wares.

The park has been used for many Hollywood North projects and some locally filmed TV series, notably, Stargate SG1.