Stanley Park's Secret: The Forgotten Families of Whoi Whoi, Kanaka Ranch and Brockton Point
Library Item
Each year, over eight million people visit Stanley Park, a 400-hectare (1000-acre) haven of beauty just steps from the skyscrapers of Vancouver yet few visitors stop to contemplate the secret history of British Columbia's most popular tourist destination.
Officially opened in 1888, Stanley Park was born alongside the city of Vancouver, so it is easy to assume that the park was a pristine wilderness when it was first created. But, no, Aboriginal people lived at the villages of Whoi Whoi, now Lumberman's Arch, and at nearby Chaythoos. Indigenous Hawaiians had settled at Kanaka Ranch, just outside the park's boundary. Others resided at Brockton Point on the park's eastern tip. Only in 1958 would the last of these families be forced out of their homes and the park returned to its supposed "pristine" character.
Working in collaboration with descendants, Jean Barman skillfully weaves together family stories with archival documents, Vancouver Parks Board records and court proceedings to reveal a troubling, yet deeply important facet of BC's history.
Officially opened in 1888, Stanley Park was born alongside the city of Vancouver, so it is easy to assume that the park was a pristine wilderness when it was first created. But, no, Aboriginal people lived at the villages of Whoi Whoi, now Lumberman's Arch, and at nearby Chaythoos. Indigenous Hawaiians had settled at Kanaka Ranch, just outside the park's boundary. Others resided at Brockton Point on the park's eastern tip. Only in 1958 would the last of these families be forced out of their homes and the park returned to its supposed "pristine" character.
Working in collaboration with descendants, Jean Barman skillfully weaves together family stories with archival documents, Vancouver Parks Board records and court proceedings to reveal a troubling, yet deeply important facet of BC's history.
LIB.00266
Madeira Park : Harbour Publishing
2007
9781550174205
Print and published material
History
English
Media Room and Library
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