Renfrew Ravine and Renfrew Park (Vancouver)
I never get tired of my walks around the city with my good friend Erica Hargreave. Actually, I never get tired of walking anywhere with my friends, to be quite honest. Particularly when it comes to discovering somewhat unusual places in the city. I’m a sucker for all things urban nature, and having a water stream flow through in such a distinct manner as it does through the Renfrew Ravine makes me go all giddy for no good reason. Plus, it’s in my neighbourhood of East Vancouver. Go East Vancouver!
I have written about the Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival before, but I wrote that post when I had actually not been there (though admittedly, my friend Tris Hussey and I gave a talk at the Renfrew Park Community Centre last year on how to grow your readership through blogging).
A couple of weeks ago, Erica and I wandered around to check it out. Walking through the ravine, we found a labyrinth, a German-Canadian monument and lots of beautiful, peaceful nature.
As you may (or may not know) my research encompasses the industrial/urban transformation of cities and its environmental effects, so I am always keen to explore urban settings and appreciate the intersection of nature with urbanization. Erica and I walked through the Renfrew Ravine Greenway all the way from 29th Avenue Skytrain station to the Renfrew Park.
Beautiful natural water streams and bodies within urban settings never cease to amaze me. I am just as fascinated with Renfrew Ravine as I am with my beloved Trout Lake. Both beautiful locations within my East Vancouver neighbourhood.
[…] Even though I’ve lived in Vancouver my whole life, I’ve never really visited the Renfrew Ravine and Renfrew Park. I’ve driven past it, but didn’t think there was much to see. As it turns out, thanks […]
I grew up in this area & Renfrew Park was our childhhod/teenage place to hang out. Have tons of memories of that area. I remember the area/park before the community centre was even built! Used to be a couple of tennis courts & an old wooden structure where community bazaars, bake sales, meetings & dances were held back in the late 50’s! As teens we pulled apart the bars at the end of the creek (near the lacrosse box – is it still there?) & slid down through the slimey wet tunnel/cement pipe all the way to Grandview Hwy. We popped our heads out of a couple of the manholes on Renfrew St & got our photos in the local newspaper. Title was something like “Renfrew Park kids beat the summer heat!” Great safe place to hang out while growing up. We used to try to climb the walls of the Community Centre – it had bricks that stuck out every few feet – to get on the roof. A few of the kids were successful & had a heck of a time getting back down! Also, I was quite involved with community centre & have wonderful memories of a horseback riding experience in Langley called Ride with Renfrew. I still have a RPCC pin I was awarded for volunteer work I did at the centre. The park sure has changed. Visited a few years back & was surprised to see how neat & manicured it had all become. When I was a kid, it was all wild bushes & trees. Thanks for the memories & this site.