A Vancouver architect wants to build a spa in Stanley Park's abandoned polar bear enclosure
When the last of the Stanley Park polar bears died in 1997, their large concrete pools and enclosures near the aquarium were abandoned and haven’t been touched since.
But a Vancouver architect has big plans for the structures. Tony Osborn with Tony Osborn Architecture and Design has designed a Scandanavian-style outdoor spa that he believes would be the perfect way to invite people back to the dilapidated space.
“What better way to than to actually invite people to swim in those pools where some of us can remember polar bears actually swimming,” said Osborn.
He submitted his renderings and design plans to Vancouver’s park board commissioners. And at least one of them loves the idea.
“I thought it’s was fantastic! I thought what a creative thoughtful idea to enhance the public life for all of us through opportunities in Stanley Park,” said Park Board commissioner Tom Digby.
He acknowledges building anything in Stanley Park is challenging, let alone an attraction as large and complex as an outdoor spa that incorporates aging concrete structures that haven’t been used in decades.
“The first thing that came to my mind is, well, how will First Nations feel about it? Because Stanley Park is entirely co-managed with the First Nations now,” said Digby.
Osborn believes it is possible to get everyone on board.
“The time is quite good for something to happen here, because in January of this year the park board passed a motion to look for new sources of revenue in all of its spaces, but especially in Stanley Park,” said Osborn.
The next step is a feasibility study if the Park Board and local First Nations are open to exploring the idea. “So definitely some investigation would be done of the current site to determine what would be required for the site to be inhabited in this way,” said Osborn.
Digby is on board. “This has the scale and the size that really suits the city so I definitely want to see this pushed forward,” he said
Still, Osborn knows many people are skeptical. His response to those who can’t imagine a Nordic spa in the middle of Stanley Park?
“I think it’s important for people not to be too pessimistic about the possibilities of things,” Osborn said. “Some things have to come into existence, and it might as well be something as amazing and cool as a sauna where the polar bear enclosure used to be.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.