Parking in Steveston

When I asked my dear friend Dvora how I could improve this blog, she told me she wanted to know where to park in Steveston.

I could have told her to unfold a map and just eyeball those circled "P"s. But she deserved better than that.

So, I put my visitor's cap on and headed out the door. My mission: to assess the parking situation with fresh eyes. How easy is it to find a spot without a good grasp of the lay of the land.

It turned out that parking rules in Steveston are simple:

1)First of all, parking is free, so you can leave your change at home.

(2)Secondly, although free, parking on the street and in some pubic lots, is limited to two hours (between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM for street parking)



(3)Lastly, if you wish to linger over your cup of latte, you should park in Lot 1 - a gravel lot with enough pot holes to jar every bone in your body. But, consider it a small price to pay for the luxury of meandering through the village unhampered by fear of finding a parking ticket flapping under your wiper.

There are blue signs aplenty to point you to the above lots. In some ways, though, they can lead drivers astray as much as they can guide them to their intended destinations.

For example, this one seems to suggest that Lot 1 is located in front of the G & F Financial Group building. Not so.



This one suggests that Lots 3, 4, 5 are situated at the end of Third Avenue. Actually, it's more like head down the avenue, veer to the left, and keep right on going until you see more blue signs.



To help visitors get their bearing, here are satellite as well as street views of these lots. When viewing the satellite photos, the top of your screen represents north.

Lot 1 satellite view


Lot 1 street view


Lot 3 satellite view


Lot 3 street view


Lots 4 and 5 satellite view


Lot 4 street view


Lot 5 street view


I don't have a clue where Lot 2 is or if it even exists.

Unless specifically prohibited, you are permitted to park in lanes and alleys, as long as you don't obstruct traffic.

If you are not averse to a short walk, you can leave your car at the Steveston Public Library (corner of Moncton Street and No.1 Road). The two hour limit is applicable between 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM, Monday through Friday, but they are pretty laid back about it.

Even further off the main drag is Garry Point Park at the corner of Chatham Street and Seventh Avenue. It provides ample parking, from dawn till dusk, as well as amenities such as picnic tables, benches, washrooms, and a water fountain. The concession stand opens in fair weather and offers Pajo's fish and chips and Timothy's frozen yogurt - two local favourites.



On busy summer weekends, with zero availability in the village, parking tends to spill over to the residential areas. By and large, Stevestonites are pretty accommodating. There are, however, signs that you need to be wary. Here are a few of them:



These signs send an unequivocal message – “no parking” – no ands, ifs, or buts.

I guess that just about wraps it up for now. If you have other parking tips, I can pass them along to my friend Dvora.

No, she doesn’t drive a Hummer and yes, she is a great parallel parker!

Spring arrives (extra) early at Garry Point Park

Back in mid-January, I bemoaned the stillness that hung over Garry Point Park. Instead of greasy balled up napkins, salt and pepper spills, and the occasional smears of ketchup, the picnic tables were covered only with lingering dew drops. The service windows of the concession stand were pulled down as though the building itself had gone into hibernation. Even the crunching sounds under my shoes were hushed, perhaps deferring to the sombre mood of this forgotten corner of the village.

But what a difference three weeks could make!

Saturday, February 6th dawned bright and the temperature climbed to a joyous 10 degrees Centigrade. As though pursuing an invisible pied piper, residents flocked to Garry Point Park - on foot, on wheels, and in buggies.

Pajo's counter was open for business and kids begged, cajoled, and charmed their parents into buying them snacks.



Dogs out on a stroll with their owners approached and sniffed each other, as though trying to get re-acquainted after a long period of separation.



Crows, ever the resourceful scavengers, took up positions so they could snatch leftovers whenever they came into their line of sight.



And the view of the river was worthy of speculations and endless discussions.



Everywhere you turned, the world seemed to be reawakening with colours. Tender blossoms burst forth from branches,



from planters,



and from the earth itself.



Let's hope that the mild and bright days will gain a toehold and remain with us till spring officially starts. We can all use more Pajo days in the park - and the earlier the better - don't you agree?

Marine Garage fuels our sense of nostalgia

This must be a pair of the most photographed gas pumps in Richmond, if not the entire North American continent.



They have been caught in the viewfinders of the simplest point-and-shoot cameras and the most sophisticated digital SLRs. They have patiently posed in the shroud of misty rain, under a fine dusting of snow, in the gentle and diffused light of dawn and dusk, and under the most unforgiving glare of mid-day sun. And X-Files movie devotees may recall that Marine Garage lent significant authenticity to a make believe town of Kenwood, Tennessee in the "Miracle Ministry" episode.

So, what's so captivating about these rusty pumps in the corner of Moncton Street and Second Avenue? I was drawn to the faded red Texaco sign and the nearly forgotten idea of choosing between unleaded and leaded gasoline. Unfortunately, the price displays on both pumps had been reset to zero and we are left to ponder how much cheaper they would have been in comparison to the astronomical prices we pay today.



What scant historical facts I could cull from the Internet told me that in 1970's, the garage had been owned by Ed Katai, Roy Okomoto, and Goro Omatani. Working side by side at the time were Ben Yoshita and Rich Jarvis, both in their twenties and both men with their feet firmly rooted in the community.

When the owners retired in 1989, Ben and Rich took over the business as co-owners and inherited the loyal following of regular customers, their children, as well as their children's children. This partnership would last for 32 years, until Rich passed away in 2003. What happened thereafter has remained a mystery to me.

I was curious enough to call the Marine Garage number listed in a local directory but discovered that it was no longer valid. Failing that, I walked up to the front door but found it locked tight.

It's good to know that on June 19, 2009, approximately 200 Stevestonites and property owners attended a public hearing in the City Hall Council Chambers and unanimously decided that at least 17 buildings in Steveston would be saved from potential demolition. Owners of these heritage-protected buildings are required to preserve the exterior of their buildings as a means to retain the Steveston village character. Thanks to this bylaw, the two pumps will remain where they are - waiting for yet another press of the shutter button and another dazzling flash of light.

Steveston Museum shares park with new neighbour

The Steveston Museum lies in the heart of our village and in the heart of all villagers.

Not only is the structure stunning, but the park surrounding it offers a modest but welcome patch of green to those seeking a temporary refuge.

When my children were young, we loved threading our way through this park. In the spring, there was a chance of getting caught in a burst of cherry blossom shower. Once it rained caterpillars instead. The wriggling and writhing critters blew off the trees and landed on the hapless pedestrians below. Again, shrieks of laughter, but this time mixed with terror! When the summer temperatures climbed past "tolerable," we would grab a few cones from Sara's Ice Cream and cool our heels on a park bench.The white picket fence gave us a sense of privacy and safety and my children loved observing passersby from their secret hiding places.

Early in December 2009, my heart sank when I read the blue signs posted on the park property. After considering various sites and gathering community input, the City of Richmond General Purposes Committee recommended to the Richmond City Council, on February 3, 2009, to relocate the "Doctor's & Hospital Offices" heritage building from 4091 Chatham to the Steveston Town Square - i.e. the property where the museum and park are located.


Posted sign beside the museum


The preparation was already in progress. One section of the park has been stripped bare and orange cones marked areas off limits to the public.

On January 20, 2010, I caught sight of the "Doctor's & Hospital Offices" heritage building resting on its new site. Perched on the tall foundation, it appeared large, dwarfing the museum beside it and chewing up a sizable chunk of green space.


Back of the building, facing the park


Front of the building, facing First Avenue

I returned a few days later to view the transplanted heritage building with fresh eyes. It still looked disproportionately large for such a small lot, but at least from certain angles, I could see it blending in with its surroundings.


Not bad. What do you think?

According to the report to Richmond City Council, the relocated building will be set in place carefully, to make it aesthetically pleasing to the community. Having the building in the heart of the village will also maximize its public use and accessibility. And, most important to me, most of the existing trees on the property will be left unharmed and the park will remain open to the public.

I will be posting newer photos on this blog to keep you updated on the site transformation. Till then, let me leave you with a photo of the Steveston Museum before all these changes happened. I did not realize that Moncton Street has been Google mapped and thank goodness for that! Here is a screenshot of the street view directly in front of the building.


Street view of Steveston Museum

Better yet:
(1)Go to www.google.com
(2)Click on "Maps"
(3)Type "Steveston Museum Richmond" in the text box
(4)Click "Search Maps"
(5)In the "Steveston Museum" pop-up box, click "Street view"
(6)Walk up and down Moncton Street