The Garden!

Come Celebrate!

Dunbar Community Centre's 50th Anniversary Garden
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on

Sunday May 31, 1pm

in conjunction with Salmonberry Days
Community Fair 11am to 3pm

Dunbar Community Centre
West Memorial Park
4747 Dunbar Street

The Dunbar Community Centre’s 50th Anniversary Garden

Over this past winter you have probably seen the garden site, adjacent to the drinking fountain and circular patio area in the park develop into a full fledged Art Garden.

How did this come to be?! Through the efforts of Artist Pat Beaton, a fabulous committee, great Community Centre staff, Park Board folks and of course the creative spark of the community who contributed all the designs for the posts we were able to create an Art Garden that truly reflects the people who live, work and play in the area.

During the winter months 7 workshops were held and people visiting and using the center were invited to create designs for the carved posts that would be going into the garden. We had hundreds of contributions from youth, movie goers, basketball players, families, preschoolers, squash players, weight lifters, artists, math whizzes, grandparents, aunties, nannies, dads, dancers, moms, dog walkers, centre staff, instructors, and board.

The workshops resulted in a blizzard of colourful artworks that were then carefully laid out and the designs for the posts were selected– based on a variety of images and ensuring that there were designs from each of the workshops included.

Following this the newly reopened wood working room saw Pat and her two helpers Jane Wolsak and Paula Grasdal router the designs into the cedar posts. With encouragement and fresh orange slices from the Table Tennis Masters the artwork was complete by the end of April.

Off to the Parks Board Works Yard the posts went to get their final sealing. The boulders for the garden were then chosen and delicately placed in the garden beds – using a front-end loader! May 13th a crew of 3 very jovial fellows came and installed the carved posts in the garden. They did an excellent job and the garden was already for planting by the Garden Committee.

By the time you are reading this the garden will be complete and will be standing as a celebration to the wonderful community that brought it to fruition and the Dunbar Community Centre’s 50th Anniversary.

Special thanks to the Dunbar Community Centre Association and Vancouver Parks Board Matching Funds program for your support of the project and to Erica Levy, Tanya Donaldson, and a committee of dedicated volunteers who guided the process with good humour, great snacks, and inspiring enthusiasm. Special thanks to all the Park Board staff who were a great support with the posts, boulders, plants, the gardens and for your insightful advise at each stage of the process.