False Creek

Photo credit: Daniela Modoran

George Henry Richards named False Creek during his survey of the coast in the mid-19th century. He thought he was going up a creek while traveling the south side of the Burrard Inlet, but soon discovered his mistake, hence the name 'False'.

Before European settlement, False Creek extended as far east as what is now Clark Drive. At the same time, Burrard Inlet was nearly a mile in width. With land reclamation extending into Burrard Inlet and False Creek for port and industrial uses, the landscape began to change dramatically. Once a vital source for Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Squamish food supplies such as sea asparagus, berries, camas, oysters, clams, wild cabbage, and mushrooms, False Creek became polluted with sewage and toxic effluent from sawmills and other industries. As a result, do you know the infamous nickname for False Creek in the 1800’s?

The future of False Creek south was subsequently shaped by debates on freeways, urban renewal, and the rise of citizen participation in urban planning. Through the 1960s, the ruling city government and senior city bureaucrats had hatched a plan to run freeways through the city - with little or no public consultation. In the same period, the City razed large portions of Strathcona under the aegis of urban renewal. A group of influential citizens formed The Electors Action Movement (TEAM) to oppose the freeway and to radically change the way decisions were made on land use, with the vision to retrofit of the brownfield industrial site into a vibrant waterfront mixed-use community.

Group Field Trip

Date: Sunday September 18, 2022
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Meet at Mahony's Tavern, 601 Stamps Landing, False Creek, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 3Z1. (refer to map below)
Google Maps: Click for meeting location

Photo credit: Daniela Modoran

We will then take a leisurely 2.5 hour walk east along the south shore of False Creek to the Olympic Village Square and back to Mahoney’s Tavern. On the way, we can go up the stairs and take photos from the Cambie Street Bridge. This would be a nice complement to the photos taken from the ferry for the photographers interested in creating series. The next stop would be Habitat Island, the urban sanctuary along Southeast False Creek. Deep layers of soil have been added to the area to provide nourishment for new trees to grow. Boulders and logs commonly found along the coastlines in this region of British Columbia provide a home for plants, small animals, insects, crabs, starfish, barnacles and other creatures. Surrounded by water at high tide, the island is also a sanctuary for birds. More than 200 native trees, as well as shrubs, flowers, and grasses that grow naturally in this region have been planted along the waterfront path and on the island. Moving on, we arrive at the Olympic Village Square. Built on the last remaining large tract of undeveloped waterfront land near downtown, Southeast False Creek was the site of the Vancouver Olympic Village during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games. The buildings in the Olympic Village were turned over to VANOC on November 1, 2009. Olympic Village Square is a hub in the neighbourhood, surrounded by places to eat and drink. In the square is a pair of giant sparrow sculptures. Created by local artist Myfanwy MacLeod, “The Birds” are cool and impossible to miss. Then we find our way back to Mahoney’s Tavern through Hinge Park, the attractive little park adjacent the Olympic Village or loop back on the seawall. Option: You can continue along to the norther shoreline of False Creek via Science World and take a ferry back to the south shore.

Gathering for Coffee / Tea / Refreshments / Lunch

Date: Sunday September 18, 2022
Time: 12:30 PM
Location: Meet at Mahony's Tavern, 601 Stamps Landing, False Creek, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3Z1
Google Maps:

Click for restaurant location



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