Jericho Beach Park and the field of dreams - Part 1

View from the marsh

This week AccessEcoBC is doing a two part blog on Vancouver's west side Jericho Beach Park. Part 1 concerns Jericho as it is 362 days a year, and Part 2 provides an inside look at Jericho for three days in July during the Vancouver Folk Festival.

Originally the Coast Salish Nation village of Ee'yullmough, Jericho Beach was renamed Jerry's Cove in the 1860s after it was settled as a logging camp run by Jeremiah Rogers. Over time, the vernacular was shortened to Jericho. The area was used as a seaplane base during WW2 and was turned over to the Vancouver parks department in the 1970s. This 47 hectare park is kept fairly natural; however, it offers many amenities, including some fantastic accessible features and other areas which are very inaccessible.

The oldest building in Vancouver in neighboring Hastings Mill Park

This West Point Grey neighbourhood needs to catch up to the downtown core as far as curb cuts, accessible crossways and sidewalks.are concerned. What's worse is that this area is home to Steeves Manor, a large comunity of seniors and people with disabiliites. The residents deserve better and safer community access. A Translink supervisor pointed out that the stops on the south side of West 4th Ave near the park entrance are not technically marked as accessible stops. This puts stopping and loading or unloading with use of the ramp up to driver discretion. The stops on the north side of West 4th Ave closest to the park entrance are designated accessible, so you are not left to the whims of a driver until you want to go the other way towards downtown Vancouver. If  you take transit, use the trip planner at http://www.translink.ca/  On the site you can learn how to register for the HandyDart/Taxi Saver Program.  HandyDarts are not handy and they don't dart, so taxi your way. Paid accessible parking can be found at the northeast side of the park along West Point Grey Road and the far west side accessed off Discovery Street. 

The pier on Jericho Beach Park's west side is fairly accessible

Bunnies and squatters

The beach is accessible thanks to one of two city beach wheelchairs

If you want to birdwatch and commune with nature, check out the marsh area. It is best accessed from the park entrance along West 4th Ave. At the park's south entrance follow the hard gravel-packed road west to the bridge. The park needs improvements to way finding and trail information. The basic trail around the marsh is passable for mobility purposes but expect the need for power to traverse trails of dirt, grass, and cement. If you choose to skip the marsh tour, keep following the road after the bridge and commune with squatters and bunnies on your way towards the wharf. The wharf area is a section of Jericho that is technically part of the seawall system, although it is more road than wall.  It follows the beach and runs east to west. The wharf section at the west end of the park has been condemned but a redesign is in the works. The City of Vancouver's Disability Advisory Committee has requested water acccess to the high tide marks and will continue to lobby for better access throughout Jericho Beach Park and the West Point Grey area.

The west side of the park is where you will find the Jericho Community Sailing Centre, home of the Disability Sailing Association. This is a great way to get out on English Bay. Some craft even have sip and puff navigation and sail adjusting capabilities. For details go to http://www.disabledsailingbc.org/.  The west side is also where you will find the Jericho Youth Hostel, which is definitely not wheelchair accessible. If you can handle stairs it's a cheap, clean place to stay.  For information go to www.hihostels.ca/westerncanada/168/HI-Vancouver_Jericho_Beach.hostel.

Also on the west side are playing fields and a new multi-purpose field  featuring artificial turf which is very accessible. The older ball diamonds are not as accommodating. One of the two park washrooms located in front of the hotel is accessible.

On the northeast side of the park you will find the other accessible washroom along with a food concesion, lifeguard station, change area and outdoor shower. You can also ask the lifegaurd to use one of two of the City of Vancouver's beach wheelchairs.  (See post "The pieces are in place so check it out mate.")

I have left a huge gap in my report: the large field surrounded by all the perimeter paths described above.  The field is all grassy and hilly with dips, valleys and bumps galore. Once a year hundreds of people requirng mobility aids visit this field to attend the Vancouver International Folk Festival. Making this accessible field of dreams possible is the folk fest's Universal Access Committee.  The committee is part of the festival's large group of over 1500 volunteers who help make the festival a fantastic must-do event. More on that next time.