The Central Park Entrance Gate is the ceremonial entrance to Burnaby’s historic Central Park from Kingsway, and consists of two massive stone pillars, approximately 7.5 metres high and 1.8 metres square, adjacent gate posts and a low flanking stone wall that curves into the park to the east.
The Central Park Entrance Gate is the ceremonial entrance to Burnaby’s historic Central Park from Kingsway, and consists of two massive stone pillars, approximately 7.5 metres high and 1.8 metres square, adjacent gate posts and a low flanking stone wall that curves into the park to the east.
Heritage Value
The Central Park Entrance Gate is significant as a ceremonial entry to a major park, for its connection with the early history of the British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) and as an important design by an accomplished British Columbian architect.
When the original interurban line between Vancouver and New Westminster was constructed in 1891, one of the first stations was located where the tramway crossed the Vancouver-Westminster Road (now Kingsway) within the newly-created Central Park. The interurban line ran through the park on a diagonal right-of-way (the current SkyTrain line, opened in 1986, follows this original alignment). In 1912 an agreement was reached between the successor interurban company, the BCER, and the Central Park Provincial Park Board, to deed additional land for an expanded right-of-way through the Park in exchange for improvements that included the construction of an ornamental stone wall and gate with an iron arch, with an illuminated 'Central Park' sign, adjacent to the interurban station on Kingsway. This was an early and rare example of an electric sign used for a public recreation facility.
The Gate is also significant as a surviving early design by Robert Lyon (1879-1963), an Edinburgh-born and trained immigrant who was one of the most accomplished of British Columbia's early architects. After he moved to Vancouver, he was employed by the BCER from 1911 until 1918, and worked on a broad range of projects including some of the grandest and most innovative local industrial structures of the time. The arch was built by the Westminster Ironworks Company, one of the leading firms of its kind in Western Canada, operated by John Reid of New Westminster. The Gate was completed in 1914; in 1968 the decorative ironwork was removed due to corrosion and placed in storage.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Central Park Entrance Gate include its:
- two subtly tapered massive stone pillars, which rise in stages from a larger base to a shaft with random coursed multi-coloured granite with roughly formed grey granite quoins, to a top formed of finely finished grey granite blocks with a coved and bracketed cap
- adjacent gate posts with monolithic pyramidal granite caps
- low flanking stone wall that curves into the park to the east, constructed of random coursed multi-coloured granite with a river rock triangular cap
P.I.D. No. 017-767-172
Legal Description: Block B of Lot 2 Except Firstly: Part on Plan 8669 and Secondly: Part on Plan LMP4689 District Lot 151, Group 1, New Westminster District, Plan 3443
Boundaries
The property (Central Park) is a municipally-owned park that lies at the western edge of Burnaby, between 49th Avenue to the south, Kingsway to the north, Boundary Road to the west and Patterson Avenue to the east.
The 'Fairacres Estate Gate' marks the location of one of the original driveway entrances to the estate.
Heritage Value
Fairacres was designed as a country estate with a working farm that included over 10 acres of productive berry and vegetable fields, with a large kitchen garden, a root house to store food, and greenhouses heated by steam. The agricultural potential ofthe Deer Lake area made it one of the first parts of the municipality to attract settlement.
Construction of the Fairacres Estate represented a shift toward wealthy country estates over more modest farms, and the Ceperleys employed a large staff to manage the estate's agricultural production. Agricultural use of the estate continued when a Catholic order of Benedictine monks purchased the estate as part of the Priory of St. Joseph and the Seminary of Christ the King, and continued to farm the land until 1953.
The overall architectural intention of the estate's architect was to reflect the ideals of the Arts & Crafts movement to showcase craftsmanship, and to incorporate high quality materials, including many local materials, such as wood and stone from the site. On the mansion exterior, the rustic style is seen in the use of natural materials such as cedar shingles and siding, cobblestone foundations and chimneys and the half-timbering in gable ends. The estate's remaining gate pillar features the same rustic field and cobblestones used on the mansion.
The original estate driveway had two entrances constructed in 1910, each marked by a pair of entry gate pillars which supported iron gates. The main entrance gate pillars which marked the lower driveway and the east pillar of the upper entrance were demolished many years ago and the iron gates removed. A single gate pillar remains marking the upper driveway, adjacent to the Garage and Stables. This gate pillar is a significant site feature and incorporates cobble stone and a carved sandstone capstone.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the ‘Fairacres Estate Gate' include:
- setting in relation to the estate boundary and estate buildings
- Cobble stone and sandstone construction, which represents a typical Arts and Crafts use of local materials, and matches the extensive use of cobblestone as chimneys and foundations on the Fairacres mansion, as well as the use of sandstone on the mansion's exterior.
Photograph of cousins Mignon (Minnie) Coe and Evelyn Condio standing together in front of the arbour at the Coe family residence at 2684 Fern Avenue (renumbered in the 6300 block). Mignon Coe (later Uter) was the daughter of Elizabeth and James Coe.
Photograph of cousins Mignon (Minnie) Coe and Evelyn Condio standing together in front of the arbour at the Coe family residence at 2684 Fern Avenue (renumbered in the 6300 block). Mignon Coe (later Uter) was the daughter of Elizabeth and James Coe.
Photograph of the Central Park entrance arch with the "Central Park" electric sign. An Interurban tram can be seen on the right. This photograph used to be hung at the Central Park branch of the Burnaby Public Library.
Photograph of the Central Park entrance arch with the "Central Park" electric sign. An Interurban tram can be seen on the right. This photograph used to be hung at the Central Park branch of the Burnaby Public Library.
Photograph of a woman with an infant in her arms, standing under the Central Park Arch at the Kingsway entrance to Central Park. The "Central Park" sign on the arch is electric.
Photograph of a woman with an infant in her arms, standing under the Central Park Arch at the Kingsway entrance to Central Park. The "Central Park" sign on the arch is electric.
Photographic postcard of the entrance arch at Central Park. The postcard was sent to R.M. Harding of Everett, Washington and bears a New Westminster postmark and is dated August 6, 1922. The note written on the reverse of the card reads: " Dear Ross, This is were [sic] we made camp tonight. Wish…
Photographic postcard of the entrance arch at Central Park. The postcard was sent to R.M. Harding of Everett, Washington and bears a New Westminster postmark and is dated August 6, 1922. The note written on the reverse of the card reads: " Dear Ross, This is were [sic] we made camp tonight. Wish you were with us. We have had a dandy trip so far - but awfully dusty for about 14 miles from this side of the border line. Love, Eva."
Photograph of the old Lumberman's Arch by the beachside in Stanley Park, Vancouver. There are people gathered by the arch and standing and sitting on logs strewn on the beach.
Photograph of the old Lumberman's Arch by the beachside in Stanley Park, Vancouver. There are people gathered by the arch and standing and sitting on logs strewn on the beach.
postcard; black and white photograph of entrance arches to Central Park in Burnaby - [192-]. The postcard was published by the Gowen Sutton Company Limited of Vancouver, BC.
Stamp in black ink on verso of postcard reads "PUBLISHED BY THE GOWEN SUTTON CO. LTD. VANCOUVER, B.C. / POSTCARD / CORRESPONDENCE_ADDRESS"
Object History
Souvenir postcard of Burnaby Central Park entrance arch.
Photograph of a boat towing a log boom and coming through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks) in Salmon Bay in Seattle, Washington's Ship Canal. The locks link Lake Washington to Puget Sound. The Salmon Bay Bridge is visible in the background spanning Salmon Bay.
Photograph of a boat towing a log boom and coming through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks) in Salmon Bay in Seattle, Washington's Ship Canal. The locks link Lake Washington to Puget Sound. The Salmon Bay Bridge is visible in the background spanning Salmon Bay.
Collected by editorial for use in a March 2004 issue of the Burnaby NewsLeader
Caption from metadata: "Andrew O'Keeffe, of the Burnaby Parks and Recreation Department, tends to some of the 2500 daffodils in the gardens of Kensington Park, along Hastings St."
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the families and the vineyard and apple orchard on Aubrey Street. She tells stories about picking wild blackberries near Aubrey and raspberries grown on her parent’s farm, and about her mother’s large garden and kale grown for chicken…
This portion of the interview is about Reidun Seim talking about the families and the vineyard and apple orchard on Aubrey Street. She tells stories about picking wild blackberries near Aubrey and raspberries grown on her parent’s farm, and about her mother’s large garden and kale grown for chicken feed.
Recording is of an interview with Reidun Seim conducted by Kathy Bossort. Reidun Seim was one of 23 participants interviewed as part of the Community Heritage Commission’s Burnaby Mountain Oral History Project. The interview is mainly about Reidun Seim’s memories about her parent’s farm on Curtis Street, events in her childhood, and the people who lived in or visited her neighborhood. She takes us on a tour of her neighborhood in the 1940s, telling us stories about families who lived on Curtis Street on and east of 7300 block, including people who lived on Burnaby Mountain in the old Hastings Grove subdivision above the end of municipal water service at Philips Avenue. She describes changes to Curtis Street, particularly after it provided access to Simon Fraser University in 1965. She also talks about her teaching career, and about how she values the green space and conservation area on Burnaby Mountain.
Biographical Notes
Reidun Seim was born in 1931 in Vancouver B.C. to Sjur and Martine Seim. Sjur and Martine Seim emigrated to Canada from Norway in 1930, and after settling in Vancouver, moved to an acre of land and a new home at the base of Burnaby Mountain in 1932. Sjur attended UBC to learn about poultry farming and began his own chicken and egg business in 1935. The farm animals and large garden also contributed to the family’s livelihood and self-sufficiency. The Curtis Street neighborhood was a lively place and extended well up Curtis Street on the west slope of Burnaby Mountain, where Reidun would babysit for families. Reidun attended Sperling Avenue Elementary School (Gr. 1-8), Burnaby North High School, and Vancouver Normal School for teacher training in 1950-1951. She began teaching primary grades in Port Coquitlam at James Park School. Most of her career was spent in North Delta, teaching at Kennedy and Annieville schools from 1954-1958, appointed Primary Consultant (1958-1960) and Primary Supervisor (1960-1985), before retiring in 1986. Reidun lived at home with her parents on Curtis Street, commuting to Delta, and continues to live in the original farmhouse.
Kathy Bossort is a retired archivist living in Ladner, BC. She worked at the Delta Museum and Archives after graduating from SLAIS (UBC) in 2001 with Masters degrees in library science and archival studies. Kathy grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and, prior to this career change, she lived in the West Kootenays, earning her living as a cook for BC tourist lodges and work camps. She continues to be interested in oral histories as a way to fill the gaps in the written record and bring richer meaning to history.