Tree planted by then-Princess at Queen Elizabeth Park in 1951 is now a giant | Daily Hive

Vancouver tree planted by then-Princess at Queen Elizabeth Park in 1951 now a giant

Then-Princess Elizabeth planting a tree sapling at Queen Elizabeth Park in 1951 (left), and the plaque commemorating the occasion (right). (City of Vancouver Archives/@kkular1)

The month-long Royal Tour of Canada in Fall 1951 of then-Princess Elizabeth and Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, brought the couple across the country.

This was in fact her first-ever visit to Canada, and just months before the death of her father, King George VI, which saw her ascend to the throne as the Queen.

The Royal Tour took her to Vancouver, including a tree planting ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Park to mark the occasion of her visit. But this was not a park naming ceremony.

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Little Mountain, formed a lava dyke over 30 million years ago, had been known as Queen Elizabeth Park since 1940 — long before Princess Elizabeth’s visit.

According to the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, the park was named after the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth — the wife of King George VI. She passed away in 2002.

It gained the Queen Mother’s name the year after King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Vancouver.

Princess Elizabeth planing a tree sapling at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver on October 20, 1951. (City of Vancouver Archives)

Princess Elizabeth planing a tree sapling at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver on October 20, 1951. (City of Vancouver Archives)

But it wasn’t until Princess Elizabeth’s visit on October 20, 1951, that the now-iconic quarry gardens were officially opened.

After 71 years, the Oak tree sapling planted by Princess Elizabeth now has a towering presence and is identified by a commemorative plaque at its base. The tree is located near the edge of the Duck Pond, northeast of the quarry garden.

Present day condition of the 1951-planted “Princess Elizabeth Tree” at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver. (@kkular1/Twitter)

princess elizabeth tree queen elizabeth vancouver location

Location of the Princess Elizabeth Tree at Queen Elizabeth Park. (@BoardFacts/Twitter)

Prior to its use as a public park, Little Mountain was a basalt rock quarry for the roadbeds of much of the South Vancouver and Shaughnessy Heights areas. After its use as a quarry ended in 1911, the municipal government dug two reservoirs at the top to boost water pressure into the southern end of the city. With a top elevation of 125 metres (410 ft) above sea level, Little Mountain is not only the geographical centre of Vancouver but also its highest land elevation point.

The City of Vancouver acquired Little Mountain from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1929 for its use as a park, the same year it amalgamated with the municipal governments of South Vancouver and Point Grey.

Present day condition of the 1951-planted “Princess Elizabeth Tree” at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver. (UBC Botanical Gardens)

Present day condition of the 1951-planted “Princess Elizabeth Tree” at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver. (Vrif/Reddit)

Over the years, the park became a highly popular tourist attraction for its unobstructed northern views of the mountains and growing city. But in more recent decades, the views of the modern downtown skyline have increasingly been obstructed by the growth of the park’s trees that form a canopy. The park remains a relatively popular destination, but the numbers have fallen far away from its heyday when there were fully unobstructed views.

In 1989, the municipal government adopted its first 27 mountain view cones that restrict the height of buildings across the downtown Vancouver peninsula and other central areas along the Broadway and Cambie corridors, including the areas north of the park.

View Cone 3.0 is specifically intended to protect the views from Queen Elizabeth Park’s designated viewpoint next to the Bloedel Conservatory. The Vancouver Park Board previously told Daily Hive Urbanized that the view cone policy only regulates the height of structures.

Currently, the view cone from Queen Elizabeth Park’s viewpoint is far more obstructed by the park’s trees than any buildings in the foreground.

Northern views of the mountains and growing city skyline from the top of Queen Elizabeth Park in 1937. (City of Vancouver Archives)

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View Cone 3.0 from Queen Elizabeth Park. (City of Vancouver)

View Cone 3.0 from Queen Elizabeth Park blankets much of Central Broadway and the downtown peninsula. (City of Vancouver)

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