Cathedral Square Park on Richards Street in downtown Vancouver was built in 1986 over a BC Hydro Substation and features some pretty bizarre architecture.
The park is in the shadow of Holy Rosary Cathedral (hence the name) and has both green space and a fountain, but one particular aspect of the park is of interest to those looking for performance or event space in the city: a seemingly random concrete stage.
Above the stage is a metal frame - the remnants of a roof that used to protect the space from inclement weather. The city says that the glass was removed from the frame due to upkeep issues.
Cathedral Square falls under the Park Board's jurisdiction and anyone looking to host an event in the space or use the stage must seek its approval. A spokesperson for the Park Board tells V.I.A over email, "It’s rare that they’ve received applications to use the built-in stage as part of the occasional events that are held at Cathedral Square. This could be due to the stage’s small size and some of the logistical challenges around hosting performances in the park."
Only nine events total have been held in the park since 2018 and, according to the city, they were all minor in scope and scale such as church picnics and marketing activations and none of them used the stage.
It's not impossible to make use of the stage. The city has a step-by-step guide on applying for event permits in any of the 230 Vancouver parks. Processing times vary from two to 12 months and there is a $34 application fee. There are also fees depending on the type and size of the event, for instance, $106 for an event of 50 people or less up to $1,329 for an event larger than 5,000 people.
In addition to events, the Park Board has been working with Hives for Humanity to introduce pollinator plants in the park since 2017 and recently First Nations art was added to the columns as part of a collaboration with the Park Board, DV Business Improvement Association and the Vancouver Mural Festival. The design is a collaboration between Musqueam artist Debra Sparrow, Squamish chief Janice George, and the Tsleil-Waututh’s Angela George.
