Welcome to the West Coast : SFU to Vancouver

When we woke up this morning the sky was just beginning to turn soft shades of pink and yellow.  A few inches of snow coated the ground as we made our way across campus to get coffee and muffins for breakfast.  Along the way we passed a bronze statue of Terry Fox, who at one time was a student at Simon Fraser University.  We took a moment to imagine what his journey must have been like.  His achievement seems unimaginably difficult, but each person who sets out to cross Canada has a unique experience, and our own journey also seemed improbable only a few short years ago.

When we set off down the Trans Canada Trail again we found ourselves climbing down the west side of Burnaby Mountain on the steep, snow-covered gravel path.  Many students and professors were already making their way both up and down, enjoying the wintery feeling morning.  As with yesterday, the snow made the tall cedars and ferns look absolutely magical!

We stopped at a lookout near the top of the hill to enjoy the views down over Vancouver.  We could clearly see the tall buildings of Canada's third largest city rising up in the distance.  It is always both a little daunting and a bit exciting to see our destination sitting off on a distant looking horizon, and to know that we will walk every step of the way to get there.

We slipped and slithered down the pathway which served as the local segment of the Trans Canada Trail, somehow winding up on the bicycle path that headed straight down the mountain.  We were glad not to be climbing, a feeling that was confirmed as we watched a young man jogging up the steep mountainside, too winded to say anything as he passed us.  Although the going was challenging, the scenery was incredibly pretty, and we savoured our gorgeous, forested surroundings as long as we could.

When we got to the bottom of the mountain we could see Hastings Rd stretching out towards the horizon in front of us.  For the next 20 min we climbed steadily back up, walking on the sidewalk at the edge of the busy road.  A series of rather uninspiring but necessary businesses lined the street, including several auto repair and supply shops, a paint store, a vape shop, and multiple banks.  Slightly more interesting were the restaurants, which featured Japanese, Mediterranean, and Turkish cuisine among other exotic seeming (to us) things.

After a short road walk we were delighted to find that the trail diverted onto another forested footpath.  This gorgeous, forested, fern lined trail skirted around the Capital Hill neighbourhood, which sits atop the 203 m tall hill of the same name.  It is apparently known for its Italian, Portuguese, and Croatian expat communities, and also serves as a housing area for students from Simon Fraser University.

Our trail hugged the densely forested slope, overhung with mossy trees, lush green ferns, and dense brambles.  On one side it was bordered by beautifully and creatively landscaped backyards and unique homes.  Some of the gardens looked like they belonged in fairy tales, providing homes for mythical creatures.  On the other side we could periodically catch panoramic views over downtown Vancouver through the trees.

Eventually we emerged into the neighbourhood again, and passed a large sign for the Burnaby Central Railway. This place was founded in 1929 by a group of miniature railway enthusiasts who were looking for a track on which to run their custom made locomotives.  In 1993 they moved to the current location, which includes a 7 acre property with over 2 miles of track.  Visitors can purchase tickets to ride on the miniature trains, which climb hills, pass over bridges, go through tunnels, and traverse crossovers. Although the site was closed when we walked past, apparently it is always changing, and is well worth a visit.

We continued on what turned out to be a pleasant walk, weaving around the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood on quiet streets lined with single-family homes, and through a series of small urban green spaces.  The fall colours were still shining in the neatly landscaped Rainbow Creek Park, and we were welcomed into McGill Park by passing under a beautifully carved wooden archway.

As we continued on through Montrose Park we again found ourselves skirting around a forested slope.  An historical sign indicated that this part of Burnaby had once been known as Crabtown.  This unique squatters' community was likely founded around 1912 by sawmill workers from the Burrard Inlet Lumber Company.  Small shacks built on pilings between the water and the railway tracks became permanent houses during the Great Depression, when both the community and the size of the homes began to grow.  It was not a slum, but a vibrant community, which survived until 1957 when the Federal Government evicted all 130 residents and razed the neighbourhood to the ground.

Eventually the trail brought us around to the Second Narrows Rail Bridge, and the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge (aka the Second Narrows Bridge) beside it. These bridges span Burrard Inlet, connecting Burnaby to North Vancouver. The First Narrows Bridge, which is better known as the Lion's Gate Bridge, spans the same water body farther west, where it connects Downtown Vancouver to West Vancouver.  The Second Narrows Bridge was renamed the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge in honour of the 18 men and one diver who died during its construction in the late 1950's when part of the structure collapsed while they were working on building it.

As we crossed under the footings of the bridge our surroundings suddenly became rather sketchy.  Graffiti covered the concrete barriers and fences, piles of refuse were strewn about the forested slope, and temporary structures constructed from discarded materials were tucked into all the nooks and crannies.  Luckily we didn't encounter any dubious characters, and we soon emerged onto a street lined with the nondescript office buildings of small businesses.

Soon we were following a busy street along the edge of Brighton Park, in an area that looked like a waterfront that was being reclaimed. It offered a unique combination of outdoor recreational space, industrial facilities, and captivating views of the North Shore, Burrard Inlet, the grain elevators of the Cascadia Terminals, and the working harbour across the water.  The greenspace was well landscaped with ornamental grasses and trees, and it offered a swimming area, a large sandy beach, a playground, a soccer field, and a large off-leash dog park that we saw many people and happy dogs heading towards.

For the next hour we boxed around on quiet residential streets, passing single family homes and older apartment buildings.  Most of the streets were tree lined, and many of the homes were well landscaped, making for a pleasant if uneventful walk.  One of the things we did enjoy was finding bits and pieces of urban art and murals along the way.

Eventually we found ourselves walking through Chinatown, past small open markets with interesting looking produce, specialty tea shops, and restaurants.  This community is one of the largest historic Chinatowns in North America, and although we didn't stop to explore, it is a popular spot with tourists.  It has its roots in the late 19th century, when many Chinese immigrants, primarily men, were attracted by the Gold Rush of 1858, and later by jobs working on the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880's.

Shortly after passing along the edge of Chinatown we came to Pacific Central Station.  This heritage railway station was built in 1917 by the Canadian Northern Railway, as the terminus to its line to Edmonton, and it was originally named False Creek Station.

Pacific Central online image

For us it was a very familiar landmark, because it now serves as the western terminus of VIA Rail's cross-country service to Toronto, which is known as 'The Canadian.'  In our younger days, when VIA Rail offered a 30 day rail pass for students for $10/day, we used to take The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver and back, and then continue on towards Montreal and Halifax.  Over the decades we have been fortunate to have made the trip west dozens of times. 

Standing in the familiar park outside the station, it was incredibly hard to believe that we've actually walked all the way here from Newfoundland.  Unfortunately the building's beautiful façade is temporarily obscured by ongoing construction work in the region.

Before we knew it, we came out to a highly developed waterfront trail around False Creek.  Across the water we could see the spiky outline of BC Place, the iconic stadium with a seating capacity of 54,400 people that was the main stadium for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2010 Paralympics, the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, and will be the venue for several matches in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.  This 40+ year old stadium is also home to the BC Lions (CFL), the Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS), the Canada Sevens (World Rugby Sevens Series), as well as the BC Sports Hall of Fame. 

The paved cycling and hiking route and surrounding landscaped park were full of people out walking, jogging, and sightseeing as we made our way along the waterfront.  Soon we came to Science World, which was housed in the landmark Buckminster-Fuller inspired geodesic dome that was built as the Expo Center for the 1986 World's Fair (Expo '86). Sean has very fond memories of attending Expo '86, and it was the beginning of his love of Canada, and his desire to learn more about it through exploration and travel.

Tucked into an inconspicuous corner outside Science World was a small historic plaque commemorating Drs. James Till and Earnest McCulloch.  These two scientists are globally recognized as the fathers of stem cell research for the work they did in the 1960's at the Ontario Cancer Institute and Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.

We continued around the waterfront on a landscaped and treed trail, pausing to admire the cityscape and the mountains beyond.  We passed the Olympic Village and then were delighted to find two enormous statues of sparrows in a bricked in square.  Sitting under them and looking up gave me a full appreciation of what it must feel like to be bird food.  What an excellent art installation to find at the end of a #Hike4Birds!

Soon we passed under the Cambie St bridge, and then paused to admire the clean lines of the sailboats docked at the Quayside Marina.  Waterfront pubs, restaurants, and cafés beckoned to us as we passed by banks of upscale waterfront condos on treed and landscaped crescents.  On the water, which was a suspiciously bright turquoise colour, we could see the elegant black and white shapes of Barrow's Goldeneyes.

As we rounded a small inlet on which several people were paddling ocean going canoes with outriggers, paddle boards, and sea kayaks, we came to a Trans Canada Trail pavilion.  Looking at the map, it was almost unbelievable to see the yellow circle around Vancouver - so very close to the Pacific Ocean!  One step at a time, we've crossed this vast and beautiful nation, and watched as the yellow 'You Are Here' marker moved slowly, so very slowly, westwards. We are now on the coast.  It still seems impossible.

After taking a moment to rest and try to let the moment sink in, we continued around the edge of False Creek.  The trail soon brought us to Granville Island, which has become a unique urban oasis that is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.  The island was created in 1916 from materials dredged from False Creek.  It became a center for warehouses, mills, factories, and shops that serviced the nearby logging, milling, and shipping industries.  In the 1970's it was transformed into a public space that is now home to many studios, galleries, boutique shops, cultural facilities, and a marina.  There is also a famous Public Market which features more than 50 independent food purveyors. As one of Vancouver's premier artistic and cultural hubs, it hosts many annual festivals and cultural events.

We diverted off the trail for a few moments to wander through the streets Granville Island. The boutique shops, cafés, and art galleries were intriguing, but the crowds of people were a little overwhelming.  We stopped at a bench outside a bakery, pausing to listen to a guitar playing busker while munching on a delicious hand-made croissant.

After exploring Granville Island we followed the trail out and around Vanier Park.  This used to be the site of a central fishing ground for the Squamish Peoples, and now it is home to the Museum of Vancouver, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, the City of Vancouver Archives, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.  Although these are all popular tourist attractions, some of which we've previously visited, the temperatures were beginning to drop, and we only had an hour of daylight left, so we continued on through the grassy park without stopping.

We skirted back through the quiet, treed streets of a neighbourhood, and then made our way up onto the Burrard Street Bridge.  This four-lane Art Deco style steel truss bridge was opened in 1932. It spans False Creek, connecting Kitsilano to downtown Vancouver.  The central truss is hidden by two imposing concrete towers that are connected by overhead galleries, and the whole superstructure is embellished with architectural and sculptural details that create a feeling of grandeur.  The busts of Captain George Vancouver and Sir Harry Burrard-Neale are portrayed in ship's prows on the bridge's pillars.

Captain George Vancouver (1757-1798) is a British Royal Navy Officer who is well known for his 1791-1795 expedition.  During that trip he explored and charted North America's northwestern coast, including parts of what are now British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and the Hawaiian Islands.  Sir Henry Burrard-Neale was an extremely accomplished and well decorated Rear Admiral in the British Royal Navy, and although he never visited British Columbia, Captain Vancouver named Burrard Inlet after him, and several other parts of the city also subsequently adopted his name.

After crossing the iconic bridge we followed the trail northwest, following the shore of English Bay on the Burrard Inlet.  As the light began to fade we made our way out the sandy crescent of Sunset Beach.  We were standing on a sandy beach, right on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, although we still have two days of walking to reach Horseshoe Bay and the Salish Sea, which sit at the western end of the trail on mainland Canada.  We aren't there yet, but in many ways today feels like we made it to the Pacific Ocean, which is what we set out to do four years ago.  It hasn't yet sunk in, but by taking one step at a time, the impossible can be become a reality.

 "Come on, we gotta keep on dreaming, 

Come on dream on, dream baby dream" 

Bruce Springsteen, Dream Baby Dream

See you on the trail!

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