Queen's Park is a neighbourhood and community park in
New Westminster
New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the cap ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
.
The recreational area and tourist attraction dates from 1887. The park is in extent, and is located north east of the city hall. The park houses
Queen's Park Arena, current home of the
New Westminster Salmonbellies
The New Westminster Salmonbellies are a Men's Senior 'A' lacrosse team located in New Westminster, BC. Their home arena is Queen's Park Arena. They compete as part of the Western Lacrosse Association and have won the Mann Cup 24 times, most ...
,
Queen's Park Stadium, a seasonal animal petting farm, spray park, tennis courts, sports fields and
band shell
In theatre, a shell (also known as an acoustical shell, choral shell or bandshell) is a curved, hard surface designed to reflect sound towards an audience.
Often shells are designed to be removable, either rolling away on wheels or lifting into ...
.
Queen's Park residential area is to the southwest of the park, bounded on the northwest by 6th Avenue, on the southwest by 6th Street, on the southeast by Royal Avenue, and on the north by the park itself.
History
1859 to 1900
Queen's Park was the first established public park in British Columbia, as New Westminster was established in 1859.
Originally, the park was named 'Queen's Ravine' by
Colonel Richard Clement Moody. In the 1870s, the reserve in which the park was in was split into an area for a penitentiary, asylum, and the park itself. The park was officially declared open in 1887 as a celebration of Queen Victoria's 50th year as a monarch.
In 1890, an exhibition building was built which could house up to 5,000 people.
The building was created for viewing of the athletic fields and race track.
1901 to 1945
The first zoo was built in the park in 1906 by the local firemen, which contained animals such as bears and cougars. The New Westminster Arena was built in 1914 with the original intention of housing horse competitions, but was transformed into an ice rink instead. During the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the park was used as a training site for the Royal Expeditionary Force. The buildings were also transformed into barracks to house the soldiers in training. In 1929, there was a large fire which destroyed most of the buildings in Queen's Park, and the area was not restored until much later, due to the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. The park was later turned again into training grounds and housing for soldiers in the Westminster Regiment during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
See also
*
Tipperary Park
References
External links
New Westminster Parks, Culture & Recreation
{{Coord, 49, 12, 51.41, N, 122, 54, 18.30, W, display=title, region:CA-BC_type:landmark
Neighbourhoods in New Westminster
Parks in New Westminster
Parks in Greater Vancouver
Parks established in the 1870s