Victory Square — Attraction in Vancouver

Sometimes you may encounter very unfriendly and unsafe local vistors who occasionally can act very agressive. It doesn't happen on regular basis but it does happen (usually early in the day). Everybody should be always aware of that possibility. You may have to call 911 if you're alone. Bring a phone just in case. Usually the more agressive guests are in small groups and they don't like to share the common space with other visitors. They usually stay at the single big table under the large tree on the Pender side of the park or they try to get rid of a person who is already there. Avoid if you are alone. Not everybody is the same but I've been threatened and approached in an unfriendly manner and I've been suddenly surrounded under that tree by the table without any provocation on my part. Nobody is allowed to be the exclusive guest that tells you what to do or where to go. It's not legal to attack you or order you around the park. Most of the time the agressive park guests are worried about their drug use in public which has become illegal in April 2024. There are a lot of stores near by with take out food. Especially along the Pender Street, then there is a food market on Keefer and Abbott and Tim Horton's on Abbott and Pender. There are a lot of pizza places as you get closer to Granville on Pender Street. Clean and supervised washrooms for women and for men on the edge of the Victory Square park. This is an excellent park for photography. You can find beautiful views on every side of the park. It's nice if you enjoy...

Victory Square occupies a small triangle of land where a noble granite cenotaph stands as a memorial to Vancouverites who lost their lives in the First World War. The park is designed to be safe and welcoming to all, with large, proud trees, small and large gathering spaces, and a rolling lawn.

Originally this was the site for Vancouver’s first court house which was built in 1891. It was torn down in 1912 and later was filled with recruiting marquees for World War I soldiers. In 1917 an Evangelistic Tabernacle covering half the site was erected.

In March of 1918 the Provincial Government leased the property to Vancouver for 99 years and it was known as Government Square. Returning soldiers used the site to demonstrate conditions in the dugouts and trenches of the war and carried out military displays firing rockets into the air, all to raise money for charity.

In 1922 the park was given the name Victory Square and in 1924 the Cenotaph was built through public subscription. The cenotaph was designed by G.L. Sharp, architect, town planner and Park Commissioner (1936-1937). The granite was supplied by the Vancouver Granite Company and the erecting contractors were Stewart and Wylie. Mr. Stewart died as the result of an accident on the cenotaph building site. The cost of the monument was $10,666 and is 30 feet high with a twelve foot base.

Between 2002 and 2004 the Victory Square site was much improved with hard landscaping and the recognizable “Soldier Hats” that adorn the lamp...

Visited on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

It was a great day for a walk and on my way to a failed visit to the VCC DT Campus, the Holy Rosary Cathedral and do some browsing and shopping at a spectacular bookstore on Pender St. [MacLeod's Books]. It is a mandatory stop to enjoy a great view from the top of the hill looking at the obelisk and some emblematic 'Heritage Buildings' in the background that reminds the history of Vancouver and its people.

There are plenty of tables and benches around to sit and rest in the square and a WC on the side that, probably I would not dare to visit without 'proper company' and in real need of a bathroom because it is dark and isolated. Just to keep in mind, given that in times of pandemic, there is no abundance of WC around the city welcoming people in need of one.

Some people might complain about the very many groups of locals from the so called DTES, but in general, many of these people are wonderful artists, truly valuable citizens and good neighbors. It is probably not a bad opportunity to exercise some empathy, compassion and tolerance. After all, they might be actually putting up with your annoying presence in their neighborhood.

Too many public transit options around with a diverse array of coffee shops in any direction you...