Everett Crowley Park
| Everett Crowley Park | |
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| Location | |
| Nearest city | Vancouver, BC |
| Coordinates | 49°12′39″N 123°02′10″W / 49.21083°N 123.03611°WCoordinates: 49°12′39″N 123°02′10″W / 49.21083°N 123.03611°W |
| Area | 100 acres |
| Designation | Municipal Park |
| Website | http://www.vcn.bc.ca/ecpc/ |
Everett Crowley Park is a 38-hectare large forested park with trails, located within the Champlain Heights area of Vancouver. The park was previously a garbage dump, but has been reforested for recreational means. Currently, it is Vancouver's 5th largest public park. The surrounding neighborhood was the last area to be developed in Vancouver in the 1970s. The park is maintained, developed, and protected by the Everett Crowley Park Committee (ECPC). Everett Crowley Park is also a dog off-leash area. Everett Crowley Park is situated north of the Fraser River. It is a 3-minute walk north of Vancouver's developing River District, on the edge of the Fraser River.
Prior to being a park, the area was known to be the Kerr Road garbage dump. The Kerr Road garbage dump served as Vancouver's main landfill from 1944 to 1967. The dump was closed in 1966, and the deposited waste was up to 49 metres in places. Following 1967, the area was closed for 20 years until being re-introduced as Everett Crowley Park in 1987. Dedication and opening of the park was promoted through petitioning and lobbying by local residents. Eventually, the garbage dump was reforested local and invasive species, although some efforts were made by the community The park is named after Everett Crowley, who was the owner of Avalon Dairy, Vancouver's last independent dairy. Everett Crowley served on Vancouver's Parks' Board as the Parks Commissioner from 1961 to 1966.
Everett Crowley was born on June 3, 1909. He was the first owner of Avalon Dairy, Vancouver's last independent dairy. During 1961 to 1966, he served as the Parks Commissioner. Everett Crowley lived until the age of 75.
Everett Crowley Park is in transition. Since the early 1970s, native and invasive plants and animals have been slowly recolonizing the park, transforming it into a young forest of hardy deciduous trees, wildflowers, and opportunistic blackberry. The area is recovering, and the result is a botanically diverse landscape frequented by birds and other wildlife, who find refuge in this urban wilderness.
Before to usage as a garbage dump in 1944, the area was a heavy dense coniferous forest. Trees native to this area were mostly hemlock and cedar trees. In addition, salmon were present in a creek that ran through a ravine. After its closure as a landfill, local plants such as cottonwoods and maple trees began moving back into the area. Invasive species, such as blackberry shrubs, have taken residence in the park, and are a very common sight.
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