Like A Rolling Stone

English Bay beach low tide photo by Junie Quiroga

In Vancouver the only time anyone gives any thought to the tides is usually when they are either playing on the beach or going for a walk along the seawall.  When the tide is in (high tide) there's only a narrow strip of exposed sand at each of the beaches with everything otherwise covered by the ocean.  But when the tide is out (low tide) the muddy bottom and all of the ocean's dirty laundry is left exposed, with a jumble of rocks and boulders dominating most of the shoreline.

Low tide rocks west of 2nd Beach photo by Junie Quiroga

Where all the rocks came from in the first place is a geological mystery of its own, though some have obviously been put there by engineering crews to create mini breakwaters and stave off the erosive effect of the ocean.   It's so rocky that, as you walk along the seawall, you quickly realize how fortunate it was that a beach like English Bay even came into existence.  Though in actual fact that beach needed a little help from city hall to get enough sand to make it what it is today.

More rocks and boulders along the seawall

Added to the mystery of these rocks and their random placement is a certain beauty that goes with their wildness. However, what's fascinating about all these rocks isn't so much how they got here but what the locals have done with them.  One example being a painstakingly cleared path someone made just so they could get to the water.

Pathway to the ocean photo by Junie Quiroga

Steps Beach photo by Junie Quiroga

Another is the alcove that has been created by using the stones and a little mortar to reinforce the hill, install some steps to access the beach, and put in some seating.  Obviously quite a collective effort has gone into this project, because the group also cleared an area of the waterfront and used the rocks to build a breakwater. It has become quite a popular spot for folks to gather and socialize and, in the process, they have created a new beach.

Steps Beach photo by Junie Quiroga

Balancing Sculptures photo by Junie Quiroga

But my favourite use of the stones and imagination is the little balancing sculptures that folks are always putting together.  Whether it's making little Inukshuks or creating whimsical creatures, it seems to breathe life into the stones themselves, and builds a unique existence for them out of the randomness of their particular surroundings.  Life is what you make it, even for a rolling stone.

Balancing stone sculptures

We Are Family

Great Blue Heron photo by Junie Quiroga

Often on mornings when the tide is going out there's another group of early risers waiting for me to go for my swim, and that's the local great blue herons.  Without any benefit of tide tables or alarm clocks they seem to know the days and times of low tide and when to get out there and go fishing.  Patient and quiet, unless you happen to get too close which may result in a squawk at you to mind your distance, they stand knee deep in the water taking full advantage of their long legs to wade around and wait.

Great Blue Heron beach photo by Junie Quiroga

Whether they are a little self conscious of their height (standing up to 5 feet with a wingspan of 6 feet) or it's part of their hunting strategy, they are usually standing with their long neck curled up but poised to spring as soon as something edible happens by.  Their long, sharp, bill makes for an excellent spear and, while fish are their preferred meal, they aren't averse to snagging crabs, frogs, or even mice for that matter.  It's a good diet too because on average these birds live for 17 years.

Great Blue Heron in Lost Lagoon photo by Junie Quiroga

Heron nests in Stanley Park photo by Junie Quiroga

What's really intriguing about the Great Blue Heron is their incredible sociability, with groups of them nesting together in a "heronry" that can get up to 500 nests.  For some reason in the year 2000 a group of them got the idea for a millenium project and started nesting in the trees above the Parks Board office in Stanley Park.  Good recyclers, they use the same nests every year once they've done a little spring cleaning, and the heronry has now grown to over 100 nests, though 2010 was the peak year with 145 nests and 175 fledglings being produced.

Heron's tending their nests photo by Junie Quiroga

There are 5 distinct sub-species of Great Blue Herons throughout North America, with most of them migrating south in winter.  But the ones in the Pacific Northwest stay here year round, realizing that just because it rains a lot it doesn't mean you have to spend all that time and energy, not to mention money, heading to South America with everyone else.  Other than the nasty raccoons who are always trying to get at their eggs, living in Stanley Park seems to suit these birds rather well, and they don't seem to mind all the people either. 
  

Great Blue Herons living the beach life photo by Junie Quiroga

Having English Bay close by with all the amenities also adds to the pleasure of living here.  Where else can you get a water slide, hot dogs and a cold beer right on your doorstep?  For the Great Blue Herons in Vancouver, life is a beach and, with over 100 nests and at least 2 adults and one fledgling per nest, that adds up to over 300 herons calling this place home.  Quite a family indeed.

All Along The Waterfront

Vancouver 1792 by Jim McKenzie

The history of the Vancouver beach scene is a fascinating one and, thanks to the City archives, there is a considerable photographic record to mark its evolution from pristine wilderness to what we have today.  In 1792, when Captain Vancouver anchored in what he was to name English Bay, the area was a massive forest of first growth cedar, hemlock and Douglas fir, with native communities scattered along the edges living off the teeming fish stocks.  It was nearly another 100 years before settlement actually took place, along with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway, but by then the fame of the lumber to be had from the forests was well under way and the beaches were being used as either log dumping grounds, sawmill sites or fish canneries.

The new residents of Vancouver needed a place to get away in summer and so the most popular spot of course was the beach at English Bay.  In those days some folks had summer cottages along the beach and many people camped as well.  Established in 1893 as a recreational beach, sand was later added in 1898, and the first bathhouse was built in the 1900's.  Back then the beach even boasted a water chute/slide and a pavilion. 

English Bay

However, to really get away from it all people would set out for Greer's Beach (later known as Kits Beach) where the only way to get there was either by boat or by following an old logging road.  From 1894 - 1908  rows of tents would be set up during the summer months and families would spend their summers happily playing in the sand and ocean.  But in 1908, due to sanitation issues and development pressures, beach camping was banned on both Kits beach and English Bay.

Greer's (Kits) Beach

Nearby 2nd Beach also attracted campers and a fair share of bathers which can be seen in photos from the 1920's before any pool was built and you could still ride your horse or donkey in the park and let your dog run free.

2nd Beach

By the 1930's big changes came to all the beaches with large "draw and fill" saltwater swimming pools built at both 2nd Beach and Kits Beach.  2nd Beach was the first one built in 1930 with the one at Kits opening in 1931, and both operated on the same principle of fresh seawater being drawn into the pool and then drained and refreshed after a week's use. To really appreciate how massive these pools were it helps to have an aerial perspective.

2nd Beach Pool

Kits Beach Pool

English Bay 1930's

Over at English Bay new bathhouses were built out of concrete but otherwise the swimming was left open to the ocean.  Regardless of which beach a person chose, the crowds were tremendous and at Kit's there was also the attraction of a high dive platform.  The draw and fill pools were a great investment for the City and Parks Board with the original Kits pool lasting until 1979 and the 2nd Beach pool only being replaced in 1995.

Kit's Pool & Dive Platform 1930's

By the 1940's it appears the diving platform had been significantly lowered, perhaps the first example of "no fun" Vancouver rules and regulations.  But it doesn't seem to have affected the number of swimmers who frequented the pool and it's interesting to note the pool was so large the lifeguards needed rowboats to get around.  2nd Beach was doing a good business as well, and all along the waterfront everyone was swimming in the ocean.

Kit's Pool 1940's

2nd Beach Pool 1940's

Taking Care Of Beaches

Parks Board machines photo by Junie Quiroga

Long before anyone, other than me, usually thinks of going to the beach in the morning there's a tag team crew that's already there making sure everything is clean and tidy.  One is a front end loader that moves the logs and the other is a beach cleaning machine that sifts out the sand.  All year round these two do the beach circuit around English Bay that includes Spanish Banks, Locarno, Jericho, Kits, Sunset, Second & Third beach and of course English Bay beach itself.

Front end loader photo by Junie Quiroga

There are endless windstorms, particularly in winter, that heap up logs and other debris onto the beach, and there is no end to the trash left behind by an inconsiderate public including food and beverage containers, needles,cigarette butts and articles of clothing.  Piling up the logs, that at one time kept all sorts of beachcombers in business but now aren't worth the bother, is another depressing reminder of how the forest industry has changed.  At least there is no shortage of logs for the sunbathers to lie against.

Agassiz debris trap

Of course the log and debris situation could be much worse if it wasn't for the Fraser River debris trap that has been in operation for more than 30 years outside of Agassiz.  The amount of wood that is collected there each year and chipped into hog fuel staggers the imagination.  Estimates range from 50,000 - 100,000 cubic metres of debris which is enough to fill 10 or more football fields up to a depth of 10 feet.  Hard to imagine the mess it would make of the waterways in and around Georgia Strait if it wasn't contained but harder still to believe the government can't find a way to permanently fund such a critical operation.

Beachcomber photo by Junie Quiroga

Every once in awhile though a beachcomber does appear to collect up some particularly valuable logs that might have come loose from a log boom being towed.  Logs on the beach may be a bit of a mess but out in the ocean they are a considerable hazard.  Every year insurance claims in the thousands of dollars are made by boaters who have lost a prop, holed their boat or had other damage done by logs floating just at or below the surface.

Fireworks Trash

But as trashy as Mother Nature can be, nothing beats the crowds on Fireworks Nights in English Bay when hundreds of thousands of suburbanites descend on the city's beaches to eat, drink and enjoy the fireworks.  The mess they leave afterwards is truly disgraceful and what makes it worse is that it's obvious they didn't even try to put any of it into a garbage container.  But one man's garbage is another man's treasure and, while the Parks Board employees give the beaches their daily cleanup, there are some resourceful entrepreneurs with metal detectors also out there taking care of the beaches.

Man with metal detector

Nelson Quiroga  a bump on a log

See Me Want Me Feel Me But Don't Touch Me

Besides the seals there is another animal that occasionally shares the ocean with me when I go for my morning swim and that's the otter.  There are two types of otters native to B.C waters, the river otter and the sea otter and, though they are both part of the weasel family, they are two distinct species.  And it isn't the sea otter I ever encounter but rather the river otter.

River Otter

While they look similar from a distance it's easy to recognize the difference between them. The river otter is very sleek, weighs between 10-30 pounds and has a long tail.  The sea otter on the other hand is a lot chubbier, weighing between 30-100 pounds, and has a short tail.  A river otter is at home on either land or in the water and can be seen scampering along the shoreline.  Sea otters on the other hand are always in the water and usually lying together in rafts.

Sea Otter

Sea otters once ranged in the hundreds of thousands along the northern Pacific ocean from Mexico to Alaska and along the coastline of Russia and Japan, but they were hunted to practically extinction by 1911 for their luxurious fur, the thickest of any mammal.  Only after an international hunting ban, combined with extensive conservation efforts, have the creatures started to make a comeback but in B.C. they can only be found on the west coast of Vancouver Island and on the mainland around Bella Bella.

Sea otter raft

River otters are occasionally hunted for their fur as well, but their greater range of habitat on land and water and the fact they live in dens makes it easier for them to survive.  Also their fur isn't as prized.  Perhaps this better position they find themselves in, compared to their cousins, accounts for their well known playful behaviour.  Whenever I see one they are usually in a family group that appears to be on some sort of happy expedition, noisily chirping and chuckling to one another as they swim and scurry about. 

River otter family

While the sea otter is famous for being the only animal other than primates to use a tool (breaking molluscs with a rock), the river otter is equally monkey like in its ability to climb up practically anything, particularly docks.  Boaters are especially aware of otters around marinas and need to always ensure they keep their doors closed when they aren't on board because there is nothing a curious river otter likes more than the opportunity to rummage around inside a cozy boat.  And the mess they make in the process is not something you want to clean up after.

Nyac the Sea otter

On the other hand as humans we have made some fairly nasty messes ourselves, not the least being oil spills which are particularly devastating to both species.  Nyac was one of the lucky ones rescued from the Exxon Valdez oil spill and lived in the Vancouver Aquarium for nearly 20 years afterwards.   She became a goodwill ambassador and poster child for the sea otters who we now realize form a very important link as a keystone species in the ecosystem.  Sea otters are vital to keeping the sea urchin population under control in the kelp forests.

No name River otter

So whether you find yourself swimming in a kelp forest or wandering along the seashore one day, and happen to spot an otter, take a moment to see how much they enjoy the simple things in life.  However, as much as you might like to reach out and pet one of these cuddly and adorable looking creatures you can be sure it won't happen.  They never let anyone get too close, and for good reason it would appear, after all we have done to them.  Whether it's a sea otter or a river otter it's all look but don't touch and that's okay.

Good Libations

This February, after nearly a year and a half of construction plagued by delays, re-designs and regulatory hurdles, the new Cactus Club opened on English Bay.  Rumoured to cost over 7 million dollars, the 5,400 square foot facility (counting the patio) is a beautiful combination of wood, glass, tile and west coast modernism.  Situated in a stunning location in the heart of the West End, where Denman Street intersects Beach Avenue, it replaces the 3rd rate hot dog stand run by the Vancouver Parks Board for as long as anyone can remember.

Cactus Club at English Bay photo by Junie Quiroga

That the Parks Board has been able to cling to an antiquated policy of wretched buildings and food that do nothing to showcase the waterfront area and cash in on all the tourists and locals alike who would appreciate a decent meal accompanied by a magnificent view, is something only a city, as boring and held hostage to special interest groups as Vancouver, could perpetuate for so many years.  But the winds of change are slowly blowing away the old ways of thinking and some of the prime real estate along parts of the 22 km. seawall are finally being allowed to open up to private enterprise.

Old English Bay concession stand

It started in Kitsilano a few years ago when a deal was made to allow a restaurant to open on top of a new life guard station and public washroom, in exchange for 6.5% of gross sales.  The folks behind the Watermark, (which in 2010 was changed to the Boathouse) signed a 20 year lease with the Parks Board after a lengthy fight with with people opposed to private enterprise on public lands, folks opposed to the building's design, and other folks who plainly refused to acknowledge the benefit of a no cost upgrade to the disgusting public washrooms with this new restaurant.  In the first 5 months of 2005 the Parks Board collected more in rent  from the Watermark than they did on average for a year at any of the other restaurants leasing Parks Board property.

Boathouse at Kitsilano photo by Junie Quiroga

The success of this venture led to a "Concession Strategy Study" that quickly identified English Bay as the next place to secure a long term lease with a restaurateur and, in 2010, the Parks Board signed a 30 year deal with the Cactus Club for $240,000.00 per year plus 4% of any sales over $4 million. Considering that each of the 16 seasonal hot dog stands the Parks Board operates yield on average only $50,000.00 in net income, this is great news for Vancouver taxpayers who are on the hook for the $100 million dollar annual Parks Board budget and the $1.6 million dollar deficit it rang up in 2010.

Spanish Banks

At the other year round facilities on Parks Board property that it designates as cafe/bistro fine dining, it collects on average each year $100,000.00 per restaurant.  These facilities include The Shaughnessy in the VanDusen Gardens, the Stanley Park Bar & Grill, The Teahouse, the Prospect Point Cafe, and the Fish House in Stanley Park, Seasons In The Park in Queen Elizabeth Park and the Mill Marine Bistro on Harbour Green Park in Coal Harbour.  Each of these restaurants are privately run and they pay good rent but, it would appear there's a big difference between those who are on the waterfront and those who aren't.

Mill Marine Bistro

In 2003 the Mill Marine Bistro opened on the Coal Harbour section of the seawall with a lot less fuss, presumably because it wasn't on the beach.  However, with the success of the Kitsilano and English Bay conversions, can Spanish Banks, Locarno, Jericho or Sunset Beach be far behind?  With 22 km. of seawall surely there has to be room for more than just 3 restaurants?

Sunset Beach

One only has to visit nearby White Rock and see all the restaurants along the beach to recognize how lively a dining scene can be with an ocean backdrop.  Journey across the line and the number of places to eat along the Seattle and Tacoma waterfront staggers the imagination.  Go to any tourist area in the world and the beaches are filled with colourful walk up bars and bistros. Meanwhile back in Vancouver the guardians of the waterfront are determined to keep the hordes at bay and deny them anything except a view.

White Rock

Yes unspoiled park land is a beautiful thing and so is a decent hot dog but, lost in the rhetoric about public parks and cheap hot dogs, who is paying for all this?  Also why should a hot dog be the only food offered and why can't a person get something alcoholic to drink with their meal?  For that matter what's wrong with eating and drinking inside considering it occasionally rains in this fair city?

English Bay

The new Cactus Club is offering the best of all worlds to a very hard to please population.  The owners have built a beautiful building for dining in comfort (inside or out), they will pay handsomely for the privilege of operating on the beach, and they have agreed to offer up inexpensive hot dogs to the passing public.  Let's hope the Parks Board stays on its new course and continues to open up the waterfront in selective fashion for those of us seeking good libations.

Nelson Quiroga

Big Blue Taxi

Vancouver SeaBus

With Vancouver being a port city one would naturally expect that one of the ways for people to get around is by water and, in that regard, the city doesn't disappoint. The transit service provides a SeaBus across Burrard Inlet, there are a couple of private ferry operators in and around False Creek, and water taxis ply other routes between Vancouver Harbour and nearby destinations that have limited or no land access.  All in all, traffic on the water would appear to be a bustling business with a variety of options to choose from.

False Creek ferry photo by Junie Quiroga

The reality unfortunately is something different.  For example the False Creek ferry service is only between a few select locations during the week and the minimum one-way ticket price is $3.25 for a 5-10 minute ride. Other destinations are $4.25 or $6.50 The Aquabus ferry has the same rates but offers a more comprehensive schedule, but the pricing is outrageous when compared to the $2.50 for a single zone TransLink fare.  In the summer, when the tourists have taken over the City, both operators do a roaring trade but come winter it's only the committed commuters who make use of the service.

Aquabus

And without tourists another private company, the English Bay Launch, which provided daily scheduled commuter service between both Coal Harbour and Granville Island to Bowen Island, had to shut down operations for the winter months, leaving its regular customers scrambling for alternate arrangements.  Seems as if the tourists know something the locals don't, namely that the quickest,scenic and most hassle free way of getting around is by water.  Why aren't the locals catching on themselves?

English Bay Launch

One reason may be that folks here just prefer to use their cars in spite of all the problems we have with traffic jams, another might be the scarce number of commuter routes and another might simply be one of scale.  When you look at an aerial view of the Vancouver area you can instantly see the various waterways surrounding the city that include Burrard Inlet in the north, various arms of the Fraser River to the south and English Bay to the west.  Why are there no high speed, purposely designed water craft travelling these waters?

Aerial view of Vancouver

Compare this to Syndey, Australia, where the city is also surrounded by waterways, and how this city takes advantage of its geography to offer an amazing ferry service to 14 million passengers annually. Starting from a centrally located downtown ferry terminal, the service branches out along routes to more than 38 stops within the Inner Harbour, Manly, the Eastern suburbs and the Paramatta River. Vancouver by contrast operates 3 public SeaBus ferries, that only go to one destination.

Aerial view of Sidney

The ferry service in Sydney operates a fleet of  28 vessels ranging in size and speed from the SuperCats carrying approximately 250 passengers at a speed of 22 knots to the 1,100 passenger Freshwater class ships travelling at 15 knots. In Vancouver we have 3 SeaBus vessels (though only 2 are ever in service at any given time) each with a 385 passenger capacity and a speed of 12 knots.

Central Quay in Sidney

Greater Sydney with a population of 4.6 million is exactly double that of Vancouver, with its greater area population of 2.3 million, but that's not enough to account for a more than 10 fold passenger carrying capacity. It owes more to the fact the people got accustomed to a ferry service rather than using the car.  Up until 1932, when the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened, the annual ferry traffic was 30 million passengers.  Vancouver, on the other hand, has always had an ambitious bridge construction policy across its various waterways, which it continues to upgrade and expand upon, and this of course has precluded anything more than a token effort towards the building of a passenger only ferry system.  What Vancouver (British Columbia) does have is the world's largest fleet of vehicle ferries.

Sydney Ferry photo by Junie Quiroga

Vehicle ferries however are a completely different animal and have nothing to do with getting water taxi service in and around the downtown and surrounding suburbs.  How different things might have turned out if there were passenger ferries running along the Fraser River from Pitt Meadows, Langley & Surrey to connecting Skytrain terminals in New Westminster or ferries running along Burrard Inlet from Port Moody, Coquitlam & Burnaby to downtown Vancouver?  Would the lower mainland be a little greener without all the freeways, bridges and traffic?  Would we have saved money in the long run?  Instead of catching a big yellow taxi we might have made a song about riding in a big blue floating taxi.

Newest SeaBus