Vancouver is getting its own Boaty McBoatface.
The British public voted for the name of the scientific research vessel ultimately named the more honourable RRS Sir David Attenborough, and in the meantime, the popularity contest sparked global copycats as horses, firetrucks and a Texas elementary school sought new branding.
The equivalent in our fair city will be Slidey Slides Park.
Guess what? There are two slides at this park.
Staff at Hastings Park Childcare submitted the name on behalf of the children who suggested it (along with the secondary name, Puzzle Park) because they play on the slides, two slick and fast steel ramps. The large playground was imagined as multiple "rooms" that includes numerous sport courts, sand pits, the country’s first public outdoor parkour equipment, a bike circuit, outdoor ping pong tables and fitness equipment at the area initially known as Plateau Sports Park on East Hastings beside Empire Fields.
The “originality and playfulness” of the name resonated with the naming committee, as did the connection to neighbourhood children and “pairing an unconventional name with an unconventional space,” according to park board staff.
Siting next to Playland and the historic wooden rollercoaster, in the eyes of the naming committee, the “fun park-within-a-park” was a good fit for a less formal name. The slides link the plateau play area with a track that circles four turf fields below.
“Parks in other parts of the world have also adopted more playful names to reflect dominant park elements,” wrote staff in a motion that will go before the park board. “These include the Garden of Cosmic Speculation in Scotland and Sea Monster Playground in Singapore. This name selection follows the Park Naming Process naming guidance by highlighting the dominant human-made structure: the slides.”
The proposed name will go before the elected park board May 1.
They will also consider new names for three other parks:
Empire Fields
- Built in 1954, Empire Stadium was later named Exhibition Park in preparation for the British Empire Games.
- It was on a race track here that Roger Bannister and John Landy ran the “Miracle Mile,” a physical feat believe unattainable and also the first sports event broadcast live across North America.
- The stadium also hosted Elvis Presley, the Beatles and was the home of the BC Lions and the Vancouver Whitecaps. It was torn down in 1993.
Lilian To Park
- Located at Yukon Street and West 17th Avenue, this new pocket park is on land where once stood the home of Lilian To.
- To was the former CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S., an organization initially founded to help Chinese immigrants overcome language and cultural barriers. It is now a multicultural, multi-service agency assisting people at all stages of their Canadian experience and To's legacy is widely recognized.
- “Lilian To’s name became synonymous with inclusivity,” wrote park board staff. “Her legacy and achievements include work to make Vancouver a more inclusive city, free of racism, and with a respect for all residents." To died unexpectedly in 2005.
Sun Hop Park
- Located at Main and East 18th Avenue, this urban square is the home of an unwanted poodle but also creative installations, seating and greenery. The secondary recommended name is Hing Main Park.
- The Sun Hop Company operated on Main Street at 19th Avenue in 1923, and the Hing Mai Company opened on 19th Avenue in 1926. Both names celebrate the history of the neighbourhood.
- In the 1920s, Chinese entrepreneurs operated 52 green grocers and by 1935, nearly 80 per cent of the 158 grocers in Vancouver were Chinese-owned.
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According to park boards staff, “The number of Chinese fruit and vegetable wholesalers had grown to 21, largely within the Mount Pleasant and Riley Park neighbourhoods. Many of the companies currently operating on Produce Row at Malkin Avenue have their origins with these early firms.”
Twitter: @MHStewart
