English Bay slide returns to Vancouver beach after years-long hiatus
A key ingredient in fun summer days at English Bay is back in place after a multi-year hiatus.
The English Bay slide is floating just off the shore again after being absent since 2019. The iconic slide is a summer favourite, and often present in artistic depictions of English Bay — even while the slide itself was gone.
The slide is perched atop a swimming raft and lets bathers zip down the chute to land in the water.
Megan Devlin/Daily Hive
The Park Board hinted earlier this year that the slide could be making a return, and now it’s finally back in the water.
“After completing essential maintenance and assessing our operational capacity, weāre pleased to announce that the slide is now operational with the appropriate staffing in place,” a City of Vancouver spokesperson told Daily Hive Thursday.
The slide is now open to the public, subject to the tide schedule.
The English Bay slide has returned! š Make a splash on ‘The Queen Mary’ and dive into summer fun. š
Just remember, due to the tide schedule, the slide may close at certain times. pic.twitter.com/LRJmwViKQ0
ā Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation (@ParkBoard) August 8, 2024
Slide a key attraction at English Bay for more than a century
English Bay in 1946 (Don Coltman Company/Vancouver Archives)
Swimmers have been braving the climb up the slide for more than 100 years, with historic photos of the beach showing some iteration of the slide in place as far back as 1915.
The English Bay slide in 1915 (Vancouver Archives)
Will you be going down the slide in the final few weeks of summer? Let us know in the comments.