Jane's Walk 2009: Gibson Creek including Gibby's Field

Tour Description

Tour Host: Dan Fass, Member, Gibby's Field Subcommittee

Gibson Creek was a major creek in the old China Creek system.  It ran north-south through the middle of Kensington-Cedar Cottage (KCC), from 41st Avenue and Kensington Community Centre in the south to its mouth not far from VCC-Clark SkyTrain station, passing through or by six East Vancouver parks on its way.

This tour goes through or by four of those parks as it traces Gibson Creek along its old course.  Particular attention is paid to where Gibson Creek was joined by another major KCC creek, Davey Creek. This point, known locally as "Gibby's Field," is on three City lots which have never been developed and contains an original piece of creek bed.

The tour starts in Kingcrest Park on Knight Street near Kingsway, close to the original Cedar Cottage, a nursery and market gardens, and brewery (1901) – all dependent on Gibson Creek.  The tour follows Gibson Creek as it crossed under Kingsway and Knight, flowed across the old farm of Moses Gibson (who gave his name to Gibson Creek and Gibby's Field), past Tyee Elementary School and through Gibby's Field.  The tour continues past the site of an old mink farm, Clark Park, Maddams Street, Cedar Cottage Park, and China Creek Park South.  Much of the land along the lower reaches of the creek has been used for non-market purposes: a school, churches, non-market housing, parks and a community college.

Dan Fass is part of the Gibby's Field Subcommittee, a citizen's group affiliated with the Kensington-Cedar Cottage CityPlan Committee, which is seeking to preserve Gibby's Field as a community greenspace (see www.vcn.bc.ca/gibbys).

Special Instructions

Grassy parts, please wear appropriate footwear. This walk is not wheelchair accessible.

More Information and Other Walks

Please visit the Think City website.