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Nicholson Road is an ongoing photo project aimed at sharing and celebrating the different communities in Metro Vancouver. Each week Vancouver Is Awesome will be featuring an image from the previous week, shot in one of the many 'hoods around town in order to draw your attention a little bit outside of the hyper-focus that we usually have on the City of Vancouver. |
I'd never really spent much time down at Wreck Beach until this summer (I'm using this year as an experiment to see just how many freckles I can get, so the more sun the better!) Having only visited one other time, I've since fallen deeply in love with Wreck for its beautifully rugged shoreline, and relaxed, natural setting.
In stark contrast to the seawall around downtown, or the manicured lawns and waterside pool at Kits, the coast along Wreck ranges from large, rocky beaches, to sandy banks and mud flats littered with tidal grasses and cattails. Further down, the southern parts of the beach overlook fields of log booms and as the shoreline narrows, the tree canopies cover the sand, providing a bit of welcome shade on those really hot days.
If you've paid a visit before, you'd know about the trails down the cliffs and along the ravines, leading beach-goers to and from the shore. It almost feels like taking a walk into the Jurassic with all the sword ferns and lush west coast vegetation, and the driftwood logs washed up along the beach certainly contribute to the natural aura of the place. Add in the countless great blue herons, bald eagles, seals, and kingfishers, and it can really be hard to find a better example of paradise!
Now most people probably know about the University Endowment Lands (UEL) due to Pacific Spirit Regional Park and the University of British Columbia (UBC). But I don't think many people know that the UEL is actually a distinct, unincorporated community (i.e. not part of the City of Vancouver), which is actually governed by the Province of British Columbia rather than a local mayor/city council. To make things even more interesting/confusing, UBC is separate from the UEL, with its own governing legislation and administration, and Pacific Spirit Regional Park is maintained by the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD)/Metro Vancouver. Why, you ask? It all relates back to the University Endowment Land Act of 1907, which was primarily established to support the creation of UBC, originally referred to as "An Act to aid the University of British Columbia by a Grant of Provincial Lands" (You can find a few more notes about it in the journals on the BC Law site - visit page 38).
Oh by the way, in case you've never ventured out to Wreck before, you should probably know it's a clothing-optional beach.. but don't let that dissuade you! Embrace it! Heck, why don't we just update the 'you can sail and ski in the same day' Vancouver sales pitch to, 'you can sunbathe in the buff and ski in the same day' ;)
The Nicholson Road archives can be found HERE.
