Last month, judges for the 2013 City of Vancouver Book Award selected Inventing Stanley Park: An Environmental History as one of five finalists for this annual prize. The award recognizes books of any genre that “contribute to the appreciation and understanding of Vancouver’s history, unique character, or the achievements of its residents.” Amber […]
Parks
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Last week, I appeared on The City on CiTR 101.9FM and CJSF 90.1 FM to speak about my new book, Inventing Stanley Park: An Environmental History. As a UBC alumni, I was very happy to have the chance to speak over the airwaves of the campus radio station. The host, Andy Longhurst, took us […]
Episode 39: The Environmental History of Stanley Park, 30 September 2013 [39:20] In 1888, the City of Vancouver officially opened its first urban park to the public, Stanley Park. The park lies adjacent to downtown Vancouver, encompassing a nearly 1,000-acre peninsula. It is one of the best-known parks in Canada […]
Precisely 125 years ago, the City of Vancouver opened Stanley Park to the public. This past summer in Vancouver, the city celebrated the anniversary about a month early. However, what many people might not know is that Vancouverites began to use Stanley Park as a recreational area months before the […]
[beforeafter][/beforeafter] Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1926 & ca. 2004. Sources: City of Vancouver Archives, Photograph Collection, Van Sc P66; Stanley Park Ecology Society, Aerial Photograph of Stanley Park, ca. 2004 Stanley Park has changed quite significantly since it first opened to the public in 1888. In my […]
Writing and publishing a book is a long process that often requires authors and editors to make tough choices, especially during the revisions process. We add new material, alter existing sections, and cut, cut, cut. One of the most difficult parts of the process can be the decisions about images. […]
This weekend, Vancouver celebrates the 125th anniversary of the opening of Stanley Park. Numerous events will be held throughout the park, including several historical tours and speaking events. Click here for a full schedule and details. I was very pleased to be invited to speak in the park on Sunday, […]
After toiling on this project for an embarrassing number of years, I am very pleased to announce that my first book has now been published and it is available for purchase here and for download as an e-book on the Google Play bookstore. Inventing Stanley Park: An Environmental History is […]
The journal Environment and History has recently published a special issue on non-national parks in Canada and abroad. The issue includes two articles on parks in British Columbia, an article on French regional parks, and an article on parks in Portugal. The editors of the issue also provide an extended […]
Episode 28 Winnipeg Beach: 22 February 2012 [audio: http://niche-canada.org/files/sound/naturespast/natures-past28.mp3][34:28] In the late decades of the nineteenth century, urban North Americans sought refuge from congestion, noise, and pollution. As the environmental problems of industrial cities grew worse, city councils across the continent established urban parks while federal governments in both Canada […]
Episode 25 National Parks Beyond the Nation: 24 October 2011 [audio: http://niche-canada.org/files/sound/naturespast/natures-past25.mp3][40:56] While Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan’s six-episode PBS documentary series framed national parks as “America’s Best Idea”, that idea has not been limited to the borders of the United States. The world’s first national parks service was established […]
Episode 22 A Century of Parks Canada: May 16, 2011 [audio: http://niche-canada.org/files/sound/naturespast/natures-past22.mp3][33:16] On May 19, 2011, Parks Canada celebrates its 100th anniversary, commemorating its founding in 1911 as the world’s first national parks service. Preceding the creation of the National Park Service in the United States by more than five […]