New Brighton Park

New Brighton was previously known as Hastings Townsite back in 1865, and is considered to be the original area in which Vancouver began.[1] To recognize the significance of this area, the City of Vancouver laid a plaque in 1968 indicating that this area was where the first outlets were established in the city.[1] These outlets included the first post office, roads, playing field, Canadian Pacific Railway office, docks, and museum.[1] The plaque also reads that Hasting Townsite was the most fashionable watering place in all of British Columbia. The plaque reads

Here Vancouver Began. All was forest towering to the skies. British Royal Engineers surveyed it into lots, 1863, and named the area "Hastings Townsite" to honour Admiral Hastings, British Navy. Everything Began at Hastings. The first post office, customs, road, bridge, hotel, stable, telegraph, dock, ferry, playing field, museum, C.P.R. offices. It was the most fashionable watering place in British Columbia. New Brighton Park. Retains the name of a hotel built here in 1880 known as the new "Brighton House".

Plaque at New Brighton Park

Pools used the salt water from Burrard Inlet. Lumbermans Arch, 2nd Beach, and Windermere pool were all 1/2 circle concrete pools until the 1970s when they were converted to freshwater pools. These pools were all free to use until the conversions, when fees were introduced.

Pool at New Brighton Park

New Brighton Pool is a public outdoor pool that is usually open from May to September.[2] The pool features 25-meter swim lanes as well as a sloped or beach style entry for young children, inexperienced swimmers, and visitors using wheelchairs. Lessons and classes are also available during the summer season.[3]

New Brighton Park Dog Off-Leash Area

New Brighton Park is also a dog-friendly park. There are specific areas in the park where dogs are allowed to be off-leash. This is between Windermere Street and Nootka Street, and E Waterfront Road. Dogs are allowed to be off-leash between May 1 to September 30 from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm and between October 1 to April 30 from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm.[4]

Sewage outflow pipe at low tide

New Brighton Park is one of the many locations in Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster, that sewage outflow occurs.[5] Vancouver's current sewage system was built in the 1960s and is organized so that sewage output is mixed with rainwater collecting systems.[6] This is known as a combined sewer system. The reason for implementing such a system is that it is both cheaper to build and easier to maintain.[6] Under normal circumstances this system is not an issue. However, when storms produce large amounts of rainwater the system overflows to nearby waterways.[7] In most cases the piping is under water so that the public cannot see that sewage leaving, however, at New Brighton Park the piping is sometimes exposed at low tide.

There have recently been some concerns raised about this current system in Vancouver due to the effects of climate change. It is predicted that rainfall rates will increase in the lower mainland due to changes in climate and this could cause an increase in the amount of overflow water being routed to the ocean. For this reason, Vancouver has committed to the gradual change from a combined sewer system to a separated sewer system by 2050.[6] This would mean that only excess rainwater collected from streets and houses would be directed towards the ocean and all sewage would be processed by sewage treatment plants.