Two City of North Vancouver parks to get shelters for year-round fun

The City of North Vancouver has embarked on a new park recreation shelter project to create spaces for residents to play, relax and connect with family and friends outdoors year-round.

The city will be installing multi-purpose park shelters to enhance its parks next winter to provide protection on a rainy day, and a flexible space for activities such as picnics, celebrations, exercise, art classes, and cultural events.

Two new shelters will be added to two parks, but the city has yet to decide on the locations. So far, staff have narrowed the options to four parks: Heywood Park, Loutet Park, Ray Perrault Park, and Victoria Park West.

Staff have picked the four parks based on their accessibility to washrooms, their location to transit and bike routes, the amount of available parking, and whether they have water fountains and playgrounds.

Each park boasts its own unique advantages and would offer an ideal setting for an added shelter for the community’s use. As part of the first phase of the project, the city is calling on residents to take a look at the proposed options, and share their thoughts in its Park Recreation Shelters survey.

First up on the list is Heywood Park, which offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of Marine Drive to a lush, green ravine that frames the salmon-bearing Mackay Creek. The park has washrooms as part of the Mackay Creek Hatchery field-house, a playground and a footbridge that leads to an open grassy area and to an extensive trail network.

Next on the list is Loutet Park, which borders the eastern edge of the city, and is home to expansive sports fields, a playground, wide trails, and Gerry’s Garden. The park is also known for its urban farm that is hosted on city land in cooperation with the Edible Garden Project.

The third option is Ray Perrault Park, formerly known as Boulevard Park, located off Grand Boulevard. The park has a little something for everyone to enjoy, from sport courts to sports fields, playgrounds and inviting open spaces to take in views of the north shore mountains.

Last, but not least, is Victoria Park West. “The park has a long history of being an active civic park and is one of the first and central components of CNV’s ‘Green Necklace’” the city states.

The park also offers plenty of benches, picnic tables, paved pathways, and public art for all to enjoy.

Residents have until July 5 to participate in the survey before a decision on where the shelters will go is made later this summer.

The city says installation of the shelters will begin in winter 2022.

Elisia Seeber is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.