Inside Vancouver

Slidey Slides at Hastings Park

by Jane Weiss in Outside on November 25, 2017

Photo: Rob Weiss

For many Vancouverites, thoughts of Hastings Park usually conjure up images of thundering thoroughbreds, mini doughnuts, catapulting roller coasters and memories of epic battles on the lush, green gridiron of Empire Stadium. However, today, nestled under the magnificent wooden and perhaps rickety track of Vancouver’s famous and most historic roller coaster lies a family-friendly outdoor park. One of our city’s largest urban recreation areas, Hastings Park is the go-to destination for play!

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Slidey Slides at Hastings Park

Public Art: $450,000 “Nosebleed Seats” Proposed for Vancouver’s Empire Fields

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on September 26, 2015

A Park Board rendering of the proposed public art

A new piece of public art planned for Vancouver’s Empire Fields may give the term “nosebleed seats” a whole new meaning.

The unique sculpture consists of two slivers of stadium-style seating, rising to a dizzying height of 14 metres (nearly 4 storeys). One section of the bleachers is labeled “home” and the other section “away.” The tiny, precarious-looking slice of upper-deck seating – in what’s otherwise an ordinary city park with a few soccer fields – makes for a bold contrast: an eye-popping piece of interactive art that’s impossible to miss.

The sculpture, which has a $450,000 price tag and would be funded by the city, is being considered by the Vancouver Park Board on Sept. 28. It was initially proposed back in May, but a decision was deferred to allow time for public consultation. Continue reading:
Public Art: $450,000 “Nosebleed Seats” Proposed for Vancouver’s Empire Fields

Parkour! Outdoor Parkour Course Coming to Vancouver

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on December 2, 2013

Photo credit: JB London | Flickr

You might not know what parkour is, but Vancouver will soon have a park for it.

Popularized in France in the 1990s, parkour involves leaping, diving and tumbling off and between buildings and urban structures. It combines elements of gymnastics, rock climbing and track and field and makes for some pretty spectacular YouTube videos.

Once seen mainly in action movies, like James Bond’s Casino Royale, parkour has apparently taken to the streets and earned a significant grassroots following here in Vancouver. Now, to accommodate all the hardcore parkour going on, a new outdoor obstacle course is planned for Hastings Park, the area adjacent the PNE and Hastings Racecourse.

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Parkour! Outdoor Parkour Course Coming to Vancouver

Hidden Gems: Inside the Sanctuary at Hastings Park (PNE)

by Dana Lynch in Town on September 24, 2010

You can be forgiven for not knowing about the Sanctuary at Hastings Park; it’s the definition of a “hidden gem“. Tucked into the middle of the Hastings Park / PNE complex and surrounded by dense foiliage, this wildlife habitat isn’t easy to find if you don’t know where to look, especially if your main visits to the grounds are trips to Playland or to the annual summer Fair at the PNE. (Heck, if you’re new to Vancouver, you may not even know that the PNE is part of Hastings Park!)

Because it’s not well-publicized, this divine little spot is both a sanctuary for wildlife—106 species of bird have been spotted here—and a sanctuary for people, too: with so few visitors, it’s easy to feel completely alone with nature here.

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Hidden Gems: Inside the Sanctuary at Hastings Park (PNE)