A park in Vancouver is set to receive a special honour this weekend.
Douglas Park has become number 94 on the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s list of Places That Matter.
The foundation’s community engagement manager, Jessica Quan, says the park holds more historical importance than first meets the eye.
“A lot of the time, with Places That Matter, we try to talk about the hidden heritage. And this site really speaks to early settlement, and there are histories of Chinese market gardens, which is a huge part of Vancouver’s history that people may not know about,” said Quan.
According to the foundation’s website, around 1889, the four blocks making up future Douglas Park were sold to notable Vancouver residents, Jessie and James Hall, who leased the land to a Chinese immigrant called Ah Mew. Ah Mew ran a market garden on the land for some 25 years, and the lot was reportedly well-known in the neighbourhood as the “Chinese Vegetable Market.”
When James Hall died, the land was sold to the Point Grey municipality, and the Chinese market garden was forced to leave for the development of Douglas Park.
To mark the honour, a special plaque presentation ceremony and walking tour will take place at the park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 22.
Speakers at the event will include Qwasen Debra Sparrow, the City of Vancouver, John Atkin, Barb Mikulec, Farrell Dullaghan, and the Douglas Park Community Association Board.
“Every time we do a new plaque presentation, we garner new interest. The point is now that anyone can let us know [about] a place that matters to them, and we go through the same process of selecting and asking for our research and for why the place matters to you and your community,” Quan added.
The “Places That Matter” program was started in 2011 to celebrate Vancouver’s 125th birthday.
Since then, it has helped recognize more than 100 community-nominated sites, covering some of the people, places, and events that tell the stories of the city’s history.