On a recent rainy Saturday, we put on our rain coats and boots and headed out to the official reopening of Commercial Drive’s Grandview Park. After many months of renovations and phased changes, the two-plus acre Vancouver park is back in action. It features a brand new playground, a fieldhouse with wheelchair-accessible washrooms, lawns, gardens, a performance stage and even a bike polo court. Grandview Park has always served as a neighborhood meeting place, lunch spot, kid hangout, sports destination and more, so many locals are very happy to see the new and improved green space revealed.

Official Re-Opening of the Vancouver Park

Just a bit of rain (and a lot of lovely leaves) fell on the opening ceremony. Mayor Gregor Robertson was there, along with Vancouver South MP Wai Young. There were First Nations drummers, a barbecue with dogs n’ burgers, a celebratory cake, live music, and kid-friendly activities. A smiling crowd came to check out the improved Vancouver park and celebrate the neighbourhood hub. Grandview Park is located right next to the community centre and, of course, all the shops and cafes that make Commercial Drive the local fave that it is.

Playground a Highlight

The new playground is definitely the highlight of the Vancouver park’s renovations. A mass of kids and parents played on every surface as we checked it out. It features a massive climbing spider web, cute wooden houses with windows, a large boulder for climbing and a huge sandbox complete with diggers. There’s even a beautiful log table made from a 537-year-old fallen cedar tree. It looks like there’s also a small water park feature that will be awesome for keeping the little ones cool in the summer heat.

If you don’t make it out to The Drive often, the newly-renovated Vancouver park is yet another reason to make the trip to the family-friendly neighbourhood. Make a day of it by having lunch at Little Nest across the street, hitting up Dilly Dally and Dandelion Kids, then spending some quality play time at Grandview Park.