THEN & NOW
/SECOND BEACH POOL CIRCA 1923.
EVERYBODY IN THE POOL!
Second Beach A City Favourite
Relief From Summer In The City!
(click images to enlarge)
Among the encouraging news items recently was the announcement that several public pools have opened for the summer, including at Stanley Park’s Second Beach, albeit with reduced hours.
We’re not sure what recent incidents prompted it, but the Park Board recently issued “amended appropriate swimming attire guidelines” that include: “bathing suits; swim trunks or board shorts; t-shirts and shorts; burkinis, swim hijabs, leggings and tunics; rash guards; and wetsuits” as acceptable swim wear. The guidelines also note that unacceptable attire includes: items designed for sexual or intimate purposes; clothing that absorbs water and becomes heavy, like jeans and sweatpants; and long, flowing fabrics. The guidelines also clarified that “exposed breasts would be permitted for all people, but that swimwear must cover the genitals.”
Back in the day, and we’re talking the 1920s, long before the pool was built and perhaps before folks needed to be reminded to cover their genitals, Second Beach was a popular camping and swimming destination, with a sprinkling of summer cottages and trails for horse riding.
By 1930 camping had been banned for obvious sanitation reasons, and that year a large "draw and fill" saltwater swimming pool was built. It operated on the principle of fresh seawater being drawn into the pool and then drained and refreshed after a week's use.
The draw and fill pool was a great investment for the City and Parks Board, in use until its replacement with the present heated pool in 1995.
SOURCES & RESOURCES
The West End Journal would like to acknowledge the works of several Vancouver authors whose books have served as source material for this series. These include: Eve Lazarus (Every Place Has A Story) the late Chuck Davis (The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver ); Michael Kluckner (Vancouver Remembered and many other volumes); Dane Purvey and John Belshaw (Vancouver Noir - 1930 - 1960); Aaron Chapman (Vancouver Vice and others); Tom Snyders & Jennifer O’Rourke (Namely Vancouver - A Hidden History of Vancouver Place Names); John Atkin (Heritage Walks Around Vancouver and others); and many guest speakers over the years at the Vancouver Historical Society and Heritage Vancouver. If you are interested in Vancouver history, the above are your points of entry.
