Hastings Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hastings Park |
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South facing of view of the Sanctuary
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| Type | Public Park |
| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Created | 1888 |
| Operated by | City of Vancouver |
Hastings Park is a large public park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the northeast part of the city, in a neighbourhood called Hastings-Sunrise. The park is named after the old Hastings Townsite, which was once a resort and port.
The land for Hastings Park was given to the City of Vancouver in 1888. The idea was to keep it as a wild park for everyone to enjoy. However, for most of the 1900s, Hastings Park became home to two big places: the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) and the Hastings Racecourse. The PNE also has its own amusement park called Playland.
Over many years, the park started to look less like a natural park. More and more buildings and parking lots were built. Some old buildings, like the fancy Exhibition Building, were taken down. In their place, new concrete buildings like the Showmart, Food Building, and Forum were built.
After World War II, even more facilities were added. These included the BC Building and the Agrodome. Playland also grew, adding its famous roller coaster, a games arcade, and bumper cars. For the British Empire Games in 1954, Empire Stadium was built. Later, the Pacific Coliseum was added. This is the park's biggest indoor building. The racecourse also got bigger, with more horse barns and parking areas.
In 1997, a plan was created with local residents to bring back the park's natural feel. This plan was approved by the City of Vancouver.
The Sanctuary
The Sanctuary at Hastings Park was one of the first projects from the restoration plan. It was built between 1997 and 2001. This peaceful area has a large pond surrounded by native plants and walking paths. Many different kinds of birds and small animals live here. You can even fish for rainbow trout from a small dock on the pond.
A newer project in this area is Creekway Park. This park features a "daylighting" stream, which means a buried stream is brought back to the surface. This stream will connect the Sanctuary to New Brighton Park. The first part of this project was finished in 2013. It also includes new paths for walking and biking between the two parks. This helps create a natural pathway for wildlife to the Burrard Inlet. The Sanctuary area is still being improved today.
Park Venues
Hastings Park is home to several popular venues:
- Livestock barns (these buildings were used to house Japanese Canadians during World War II while they were being moved from their homes)
- Pacific Coliseum
- Playland (Vancouver)
- PNE Agrodome
- PNE Garden Auditorium
- Rollerland
- Vancouver Forum
Former Venues
Some venues that were once part of Hastings Park are no longer there:
- BC Pavilion (the Sanctuary Pond is now in its place)
- Empire Field (taken down after BC Place was renovated)
- Empire Stadium
Images for kids
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Dormitories at the forum in Hastings Park. The park was used to house Japanese Canadians who were being processed for internment.
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View of the track for Hastings Racecourse
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