Vancouver’s West End a ‘Great Place’

Vancouver’s West End has officially become a great place in Canada.

Stuart Park in Kelowna and Broadway, a street in Orangeville, Ont., have received the same accolade.

The Canadian Institute of Planners has named them winners of its fifth annual Great Places in Canada contest out of 29 nominated locales across the country.

The contest’s jury lauded various aspects of the West End in Vancouver, the top neighbourhood, including transit access, traffic calming, street furniture, treed promenades, pocket parks and public spaces.

Stuart Park, the best public space, has had recent enhancements that make it a year-round destination and the cultural and civic heart of Kelowna, juror Kevin King said.

Broadway, the No. 1 street, qualifies as “a destination in its own right,” said juror and professional planner Ben Petch.

“Historic buildings, contextual redevelopment and attention to the pedestrian experience combine in a unique place enjoyed daily by shoppers, workers and visitors alike,” Petch said.

Grizzly Plaza in Revelstoke won an honourable mention in the public space category.

People’s choice winners were Orangeville’s Broadway, historic downtown Amherstburg, Ont., and Labatt Memorial Park in London, Ont., in the street, neighbourhood and public space categories respectively.