History
I hope these notes about the park's history enhance your next visit. You'll be able to point out where the graveyard is and where the lake was. Those faint marks you see here and there in the grass won't be a mystery any more. Do you know where the wading pool was? Read on and you'll know that and more.
1980's
In the 1980's the park was similar to what you see now. The main differences would be the facilities. There were more areas with various purposes to meet the perceived needs of the public.
Before the construction of kid's play area you see near the pool today, there where two areas set up for fun. On todays play site there were the typical 1970's park fixtures of swings, teeter-totters, merry-go-round, monkey bars and pipe dome. Two galvanized steel slides, a small one and one in the 3.5M to 4.5M (12 or 14 foot) range, finished the area off. I never saw anything worse than a bumped body happen but these days the Park's Board probably couldn't afford the insurance they would need on that bigger slide.Closer to the forested part of the park there was another common park sight in the 1970's and 80's, the Adventure Playground. Logs, tires, chains, all linked together with large bolts to build towers, bridges, swings and other things. With a little imagination they could be anything when you were playing. It certainly fit into the park more naturally than the 1960's steel and sand effort up by the pool. There were picnic tables and stands for your campstove or BBQ in the same area. the cement pads are still there.
In the forest there was a course with exercise stations set up along the trails. It offered monkey bars (again!), parallel bars, bars for chin-ups and push-ups, steps and a measured distance around the lay-out. Most of it was along the main middle trail. A few people took advantage and the local kids fooled around with it but after a number of years of low use it was taken out.
randy@kwantlenpark.ca
Updated Feb. 28, 2009 Copyright 2009