A plaza in one of Vancouver's largest parks will be named to commemorate an influential female politician.

The Vancouver Park Board approved a motion Monday to rename a plaza in Queen Elizabeth Park as "Grace McCarthy Plaza."

The plaza is located near the Bloedel Conservatory.

A staff report recommended adding her name to the area in recognition of her contributions to the park board, the city and the province. 

McCarthy was the first female deputy premier in all of Canada, and played an important role in rebuilding the Social Credit Party in the 1970s.

During that time, she served as MLA for the now-defunct riding of Vancouver-Little Mountain – an area included QE Park.

"Her storied political career saw many substantial achievements," the report sent to the park board reads, including that she successfully lobbied the federal government to allow unmarried women to apply for mortgages without a male guarantor.

Prior to entering provincial politics, she served as park board commissioner.

During her time on the park board, McCarthy worked to secure open spaces for parks, and helped co-ordinate recreational activities for people with disabilities, the report says.

Among the projects she was involved in was a campaign to repurpose an abandoned golf course as a garden (now the VanDusen Botanical Garden).

"The legacies of Grace McCarthy can be seen across the city, and include the Stanley Park Christmas train and the lights on the Lion’s Gate Bridge," the city report says.

"In retirement, Ms. McCarthy started the CH.I.L.D Foundation, which has raised millions in research funds for children suffering from Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and liver disorders."

Since McCarthy's death in 2017, city staff have worked to find a location to name after McCarthy.

Two years later, they put forward the recommendation in Queen Elizabeth Park.

"The location is strongly associated with Ms. McCarthy’s legacy as she was instrumental in seeing the Bloedel Conservatory built," staffers wrote.

Signs will be built and the board plans to hold a public commemoration event in late 2019.