The Greener Side of Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition Grounds/Hastings Park (aka 'The PNE')

My Mother and I decided to visit the PNE today.

The PNE itself is living Vancouver history.  The Pacific National Exhibition was officially opened in 1910 by Canadian Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier.  At that time it was actually known as "The Industrial Exhibition".  To quote the PNE official website, "The Fair was seen as a showcase of British Columbia to the rest of Canada and the world, and was the second largest event of its kind in North America, behind the New York State Fair."  In addition to Playland and its many carnival rides, the PNE also features 4-H competitions, dog shows, cat shows, horse shows, music and dance, a trade show, scattered booths full of vendors hawking many gadget, do-dads, temporary & henna tattoos... and of course the many, many food vendors selling new and exciting ethnic foods as well as old fair favourites.  Hey!  Don't forget the famous PNE mini donuts and the opportunity to try just about anything deep fried.

When I was younger, the PNE and more specifically, Playland, were an exciting destination for my brother and I when we were kids back in the 70's and early 80's.  As I got older my interest in the PNE dwindled.  The amusement rides weren't that amusing anymore, and there were always far too many people for my liking.  I haven't been to visit the PNE for years, but today my Mom and I decided to see if we were missing anything...

...and I can honestly say that it really hasn't changed at all.  The permanent buildings (the ones that weren't torn down) are the same, the game booths are the same, and I wondered if the stuffed animals were just old stock from back in the day...?  OK!  Slight exaggeration, but really!    It looked no different from when I was a kid running around to get into the next ride lineup.  Truthfully we went because I wanted to see the Game of Thrones exhibit.  That proved futile as there was an 8 hour wait!!  So my Mom and I decided to have a look at the fair map to see if there was something else to tickle our fancy and we noticed that there were two 'green spaces' marked on the map that did not exist the last time we visited the fair ground. Of course being a gardener my curiosity was piqued so we decided to have a look.

The first green space (which happened to be next to the Game of Thrones exhibit) was labelled as the "Momiji Gardens":

'Momiji' is Japanese for "red leaves" or "maple tree".  The Momiji gardens were completed in 1993 and were built to "commemorate the tragic Hastings Park internment of more than 8,000 Canadians of Japanese origin almost 52 years earlier."  While they were built to remember a tragic time in our history, the gardens themselves are simply beautiful.

Double Hibiscus (possibly Hibiscus rosa-sinesis)

 

  

 

Anemone hupehensis (Japanese Windflower)

Upon exiting the Momiji Gardens we headed straight for area on the fair map listed simply as just "The Sanctuary".  The map diagram indicated that there was a large body of water surrounded by green space.  This was definitely new to us.  When I got home I immediately Googled this location and followed the links to the City of Vancouver website.  There I discovered that The Sanctuary is the first phase of a long-term project by the city to transform Hastings Park (the PNE grounds) "into a greener, more active, year-round destination, while ensuring its economic viability and long-term sustainability.  The Master Plan includes renewal of the annual Fair and Playland, and improved connections to greenspaces, the waterfront, and the surrounding community. This ambitious vision for Hastings Park will require substantial funding through partnerships, and could take twenty years to complete."  

Walking through "The Sanctuary" it was hard to believe that we were right in the middle of all the hubbub of the fair...

Impatiens capensis (Spotted Jewelweed)

 

Impatiens capensis (Spotted Jewelweed)

             

               

 
 ... it was a true oasis in which we discovered a splash of Yarn Bombing!

 

 

 
In the end we were glad that we decided to forgo the deep fried Mars Bars and took a walk in the garden instead.



Photo Credit (all photos):  Trish Paquette (aka The Happy Hedgehog)



Further reading:

Hastings Park / Pacific National Exhibition Master Plan:  A New Vision for Hastings Park