Fieldhouse residencies

Good morning, 

Nate with you today. Growing up in Vancouver, I was always fascinated by the house in my favourite neighbourhood park; who was lucky enough to call it home, and how could I live in the park someday? 

As I got older, I learned that part of the job of living in the park was to tell off teenagers hanging out there in the middle of the night. It was a good reason to steer clear of the house after hours and made the childhood fantasy of being a fieldhouse caretaker less appealing. 

These fieldhouses are all over the city’s parks, but (luckily for today’s scofflaw teens) the practice of having live-in caretakers has been phased out. So are these spaces now sitting empty? Who or what has taken their place? Those are some of the questions that inspired today’s story, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Let’s dive in!

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout

P.S. Have you got a perspective on the newly installed Lime e-scooters in Rupert-Renfrew? We want to hear your thoughts for an upcoming story! To get in touch, please contact Maddi at [email protected]. 

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 8 🌡️ 2 | 🌧️

Thursday: 8 🌡️ 2 | 🌤️

Friday: 9 🌡️ 4 | ☁️

Read the story online.

Walking into the fieldhouse at Oak Park in Marpole, I’m hit with the sweet smell of drying cedar bark, which lies in bundles of various widths across several tables that fill the room. 

Giihlgiigaa, or Todd DeVries, is preparing materials for that evening’s class when I arrive. Giihlgiigaa is a Haida cedar bark weaver and storyteller who has been teaching cedar weaving since coming to Vancouver in 2010. He only began working out of the Oak Park fieldhouse at the start of this year, but Giihlgiigaa has been involved in the evolution of these spaces since the early aughts.  

Vancouver has approximately 70 fieldhouses spread throughout its parks. These buildings have traditionally served as homes for on-site park caretakers, as well as providing public washrooms, change rooms, and storage space for community centres and sports groups. 

However, by 2011, the practice of having caretakers living in the fieldhouses was becoming less common, and the park board was seeking innovative ways to use the empty spaces, according to Marie Lopez, the park board’s arts, culture, and engagement coordinator. 

The program began with an arts focus, with the former caretaker suites offered as free studio space to artist collectives. In exchange, artists were required to provide at least 350 hours of free and accessible programming to the public, Lopez told Vancity Lookout.

Not long after the park board launched its pilot program, Giihlgiigaa and fellow weavers Sharon Kallis and Debra Sparrow began working out of the MacLean Park fieldhouse in Strathcona to “prove that community artists had a place in Vancouver,” Giihlgiigaa said.

The five successful years at MacLean Park led to other opportunities teaching all over the city, including as an artist in residence at Britannia Community Centre, in elementary schools, and with a city program called Healthy Aging Through the Arts, and then with other community centre associations like Renfrew, Trout Lake, Champlain Heights, and the Roundhouse in Yaletown. 

Now he’s come full circle, starting his second go-round with the fieldhouse residency program, but this time with a loyal group of attendees who follow him around to his various workshops.

55%

The current snowpack level in water supply areas as of Apr. 1 compared to the historical average. At this time last year, it was at 88 per cent. It’s also expected to be a warmer, drier spring, which could lead to flooding as snow melts quickly. [CityNews]

⛴️ All aboard the (passenger) ferry! The Vancouver Park Board voted unanimously to support a passenger-only electric ferry between Coal Harbour, Bowen Island, and Gibsons, offering an alternative to BC Ferries. The company that will build the infrastructure says it’ll likely be done by 2028. Read more. [CBC]

⚾ Big league ball coming to the Nat? Unlikely, but Mayor Ken Sim is introducing a member motion next week that would open the door for Vancouver to make a bid for a Major League Baseball team. City staff would then launch an open bidding process to identify a potential ownership group. Experts say the chances of this happening any time soon are very low. Read more. [Urbanized]

📈 Indigenous people and women account for a growing proportion of Vancouver’s homeless population, according to an analysis of the recent homeless count. Homelessness in Vancouver rose by 12 per cent in 2025 compared to 2023, for a record of 2,715 people, which is likely an underestimate. Evictions, low incomes, substance use, and fleeing abuse are among the driving factors. Read more. [CBC]

⏱️ Don’t rely on the Gastown Steam Clock for time, because it’s currently broken and it’ll be weeks before the city fixes it. Read more. [Urbanized]

🌲 The park board approved the plan for Burrard Slopes, a new neighbourhood park at Kitsilano and Fairview that includes an off-leash dog area, skateboard park, washrooms, and playground. Construction is set to begin in 2027. Read more. [COV]

🎭 Pacific Theatre, formerly at Chalmers Presbyterian Church for more than 30 years, was forced to vacate its former building due to structural issues. The group has now found a new home at Granville Island’s Revue Stage. Read more. [Vancouver is Awesome]

✋ In a display of elected official independence, Joan Phillip, the BC NDP MLA for Vancouver-Strathcona, indicated she wouldn’t support her party's attempt to pause sections of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). The contentious issue could have triggered a provincial election if Premier David Eby had proceeded with plans to bring the bill forward as a matter of confidence. The matter will still come forward in the legislature, but not as a confidence vote for the current government, and there’s no timeline for when it will happen. Read more. [The Tyee]

Now this one is downright lovely.

Over in Hastings-Sunrise, you can find this two-bedroom, one-bathroom, 765-square-foot unit with what I think is the perfect kitchen layout. The outdoor patio is covered and private, and the master bedroom is a good size. 

Here’s how much this space will set you back…

Theatre Under the Stars announced its lineup this summer with Sister Act and Disney’s The Little Mermaid at the Malkin Bowl from Jul. 3 to Aug. 22. 

Community musical theatre group Broadway Chorus has a new show called SEVEN!, featuring over 40 performers and a live band. It’s on from May 13-16 at Performance Works Theatre. 

The Dance Centre is hosting multiple events and a workshop as part of International Dance Day on April 29, at Robson Plaza. 

Written by Drew Hardon Taylor, The Undeniable Accusations of Red Cadmium Light, is a play about the high-stakes world of counterfeit Indigenous art set in an art gallery of the Otter Lake First Nation. On from Apr. 18 to May 3 at the Firehall Arts Centre

The popular indie band The Strokes announced they are playing at Rogers Arena on Aug. 27. It’s the group’s only Canadian stop besides Toronto. Tickets go on sale Apr. 17.

Ever wanted to attend a ukulele performance? Well nows the perfect time, with the world-renowned Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain performing in Vancouver on May 3 at 3 p.m.

On May 16, you can catch multiple performances around town as part of the BMO Day of Music, with over 70 performances to see. 

VIFF continues to showcase many great Canadian films as part of its Canadian Film Showcase series, which continues until Apr. 19. 

Over at the Rio, you can catch The Rules of Attraction, the tear-jerker Hamnet and Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie. 

Want to see your event here? Submit them to our event calendar.

For Vancouver readers looking for some restaurants when you visit Victoria, these two spots are standouts.

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Looking around town, today’s Wordle can’t be missed! Can you work out what it is?

It’s not one of the slick street-side plazas being built by the city, but this pop-up space near Main and Broadway is a good place to eat and soak up the sun while admiring the cherry trees and keeping tabs on the traffic chaos. 🌯