Little ones can now run around, climb and play in a new park in North Vancouver.
On Wednesday, July 23, dignitaries, developers and members of the the community came together to celebrate the official opening of Topo Park on the corner of East 16th Street and St. Andrews Avenue in the City of North Vancouver. City councillors unveiled the new sign during the celebration.
The new 0.22-hectare park has a gentle sloping lawn for play and social gatherings and a playground that has cedar structures, a long, concrete slide, a saucer swing and a climbing wall. Topo Park also has seating options, pathways and lighting for safety and accessibility alongside trees for comfort and cooling.
“This beautiful new neighbourhood park is more than a green space. It’s a reflection of our council’s collective vision for a healthier, more vibrant and better-connected city,” said CNV Mayor Linda Buchanan.
Buchanan said the park delivers on the city’s 2010 Parks Master Plan – a vision for development and renewal of parks and open spaces – which identified the area as having a critical gap in park access. In fall 2021, the city asked for community input on the park’s design, and construction began last summer.
Topo, short for topography, was chosen as the park’s new name as a playful nod to embrace the area’s natural five-metre slope.
“The City of North Vancouver is built on a mountainside, and whether we think about it or not, we navigate that topography every single day,” Buchanan said. “Our civic naming committee worked closely with staff to select a name that reflects the joy and creativity of this neighbourhood.”
North Vancouver resident Marissa Porter and her daughter Amara Coward have been eagerly waiting for the park’s opening since moving into the neighbourhood in November.
“We’ve been watching out our window, watching it be built ever since then," she said. "We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”
Now that the day has arrived, Porter and her daughter come to the park multiple times a day enjoying the green space and playground. Little Amara said her favourite feature is the slide.
Having the park is vital in the neighbourhood as it builds community, Porter said.
“Everyone gets to come out, meet each other and make friends and have a sense of community,” she said. “Even though we all live in different places, we all come together at the same spot.”
A shade trellis is set to be installed later this summer, the city said.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
https://bsky.app/profile/abbyluciano.bsky.social
Want to stay updated on North Vancouver and West Vancouver news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
