parks Archives - LEES+Associates

Aerial Footage from Beaver Lake

What stunning aerial views of Beaver Lake!

As work on the restoration plans for Beaver Lake in Vancouver’s Stanley Park continues, the project team was out at the site performing an ecological assessment.

Stewart Denny and Ali Canning from the LEES+Associate team, along with biologist Chris Lee from AquaTerra can be seen in this drone footage wading in the bog. They were also undertaking inspections to complete a conceptual boardwalk alignment for the Beaver Lake Bog.

The project is now moving into detailed design and site preparations are being made in order for project construction to begin this fall.

Footage and photos courtesy of AquaTerra Environmental

[We couldn’t help but sneak one in of the city!]

5 Parks & Trails to Explore on Family Day Weekend

It is Family Day in British Columbia and a few other provinces here in Canada.
As such, our office will be closed on Monday, 18th February 2018. We hope you have a relaxing long weekend with family.

We also wanted to use this opportunity to highlight a few remarkable parks, trails and open spaces we’ve had the honour of working on. Be sure to check them out if you’re looking for something to do with the family this long weekend.

Powell Beach Park, Summerland, BC
Beautiful pristine beach in Summerland, BC with great swimming, numerous picnic tables and park benches, a softball field and tennis courts

Project: Powell Beach Park Management Plan

Reading Sprouts Garden, Toronto, ON
Welcoming little park with built-in concrete tiered seating and a tree lined path. Situated next to a library, it’s a great space for meeting with friends or relaxing

Project: Design & Construction of Reading Sprouts Garden

Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden, Sunshine Coast, BC
A botanical garden with a unique focus on plants of the Pacific Northwest with 10 acres of mostly natural and some cultivated gardens.

Project: Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden Master Plan

Humber Bay Shores Parks, Toronto, ON
Scenic tranquil park with some of the best views of the lake and the Toronto skyline. Truly an urban oasis, there are many trails and biking paths and a top birdwatching spot.

Project: Humber Bay Shores Park Trail Design

Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, North Vancouver, BC
Well maintained stunning forest trails for hiking, jogging, cycling etc.; perfect for family adventures and avid hikers alike.

Project: Lower Seymour Conservation Area Trails Strategy

Please check out our projects page, if haven’t done so already, to see a sample of the variety of work we’ve completed.

Youth Engagement

Student brainstorming sheet

We were at Monterey Middle School this week as part of our work on the Carnarvon Park Master Plan for the District of Oak Bay. We had a chance to meet with nearly 50 Grade 7 students to get their input on the park.
After a brief presentation, a group brainstorming exercise, and a “sharing out” of each group’s favourite ideas for the park, there was an opportunity for the students to vote on what they would love to see in the new park using sticky notes.
We’ve generated ton of great ideas that we can’t wait to incorporate into the master planning process as we move forward.

A big thank you to Mr. Friese and his class for welcoming us into their classroom and making the engagement session a success.

Sticky dots after students voted on their favourite ideas

Salt Spring Lions Commemorative Bike Park

The Salt Spring Lions Commemorative Bike Park was opened to the public on August 6th with a ribbon cutting and community celebrations that included a prize draw for new bikes, professional bike trials demonstration and food served by the Salt Spring Lions Club.
The bike park is designed to facilitate skills development and cycling opportunities for new and young cyclists. The design consists of three main trail loops, one for beginners, one requiring more advanced balancing skills and an outer loop for intermediate riders. Each trail loop contains a variety of skills features that are challenging and fun for riders of varying skills levels, such as table tops, berms and wooden roller coasters.
Extensive understorey restoration and split rail fencing to define boundaries is expected to be completed during the fall.
The skills trails were enjoyed by many families and look to be a destination for enjoyable recreation on Salt Spring for years to come.
We’re incredibly pleased to have been part of this awesome project!

Enjoy these photos from the opening event.

Salt Spring Island Bike Park Open House

LEES+Associates presented a preliminary concept for a new Family Bike Park proposed for Salt Spring Island at a well-attended Public Open House on March 25th.

Visitors reviewed information on the planning process and environmental and technical assessments and walked the site with tour guide, Elizabeth FitzZaland of Green City Builders.

The new park will be located in Mouat Park and built with funding from The Salt Spring Lions Club, the Salt Spring Island Recreation Commission (PARC), and the Capital Regional District (CRD).

Responses to the Draft concept were generally positive and the next round of work is now underway. Construction of the bike park is projected to begin this summer.

City of Victoria Adopts Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan

We are pleased to announce that Victoria’s City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan!
The plan is the culmination of a year-long effort to create a strategic level roadmap to help guide the planning, management, and investment into the City’s parks system for the next 25 years.

Developed by Lees+Associates staff in collaboration with City of Victoria staff, stakeholders and the public, the vision for the parks system is strongly rooted in environmental protection, inclusiveness, diversity, health and wellness.
We look forward to seeing how the implementation of the plan unfolds!

Fall at Beacon Hill Park, Victoria

Lake Cowichan’s Ts’uubaa-asatx Square

Making a place for art!

LEES+Associates prepared the final concept and construction drawings for a proposed new town square in the Town of Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island. The community wanted to include a place for public art within the square, but by the time the project went to construction, what that art would be had not yet been determined.

The strategy was to provide a flexible landscaped space within the central roundabout of the square. In-ground lighting and a removable cobble surface were installed to permit a future installation.

That installation took place in November 2015, with the ceremonial raising of a stunning, monumental totem pole. Carved by Hupacasath artist and historian Ron Hamilton, the pole was presented to the Town of Lake Cowichan by Chief Livingstone as a gift from the Lake Cowichan First Nation:

“’Our pole will reflect the past, present and future of our community,’ said Chief’s Livingstone’s wife, Hakuum. The top of the pole features three faces. Hamilton explained that one face represents Ts’uubaa-asatx people of the past, the ancestors.”

And it was for this face that the new square was named, Ts’uubaa-asatx Square.

Quote from Ha-Shilth-Sa article covering the ceremony.

Powell Beach Park, Summerland, BC Beautiful pristine beach in Summerland, BC with great swimming, numerous picnic tables and park benches, a softball field and tennis courts