Memorial South Park is bound by E 41st Ave, Ross St, E 45th Ave and Prince Albert St, not far from Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver’s Sunset neighbourhood. A tree-lined boulevard from E 41st leads to a granite cenotaph in the centre of the active park.
According to the Vancouver Heritage Foundation:
South Vancouver Municipal Engineer E. Dundas Todd designed this park as a memorial to soldiers who perished in World War I. It was officially opened on May 22, 1926. With the amalgamation of three municipalities to become the City of Vancouver in 1929, the park was renamed as Memorial South Park. The cenotaph was erected on May 22, 1926 at South Vancouver Municipal Hall. It was relocated to the park and rededicated on November 11, 1939 “to the memory of the men and women who served in defense of their Country”.
The granite structure was predated by a wooden cenotaph, unveiled on 11 Nov 1920 in front of the South Vancouver Municipal Hall at the SW corner of Fraser St and E 41st Ave, across from Mountain View Cemetery. Erected by the Women’s Auxiliary of the South Vancouver Great War Veterans Association, it had the distinction of being the first war memorial in the Vancouver area.
The 13.59 hectare (33.5 acre) park now accommodates a running track, playing fields for several sports, picnic areas, playgrounds for all ages (really … the park is home to the city’s first “accessible age-friendly outdoor fitness facility”), a pond and walking paths.
Many thanks to Susan, kindred spirit in seeking out several Vancouver memorials.
Great War 100 Reads 