Caulfeild
Many houses in the area are centered around Caulfeild Cove, which used to go by the name Skunk Cove. In early times, ships entering and leaving the harbour needed a local boat pilot to help guide them away from the rugged coastline from Cypress Creek to Lighthouse Park. These pilot boats used to wait in Skunk Cove to escort these ships safely in and out of the harbour. Due to a population boom in the mid-1970s, the community of Lower Caulfeild expanded north and new subdivisions were created. The continued population growth led to the opening of the Caulfeild Village Shopping Centre in 1987, which provides a local retail and commercial services for residents, and a convenient stop-in for those travelling to or from the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal and beyond.
SEWELL’S MARINA
VANCOUVER’S NORTH SHORE
Defying the usual English spelling guidelines, Caulfeild does indeed put its “e” before its “i.” We can blame the aberration on Sir Francis William Caulfeild, who established the community of Caulfeild Cove in 1898. His penchant for following natural landscape contours rather than straight lines is most likely why the neighbourhood has such a curvy maze of streets. Before he died in 1934, Caulfeild donated 25 hectares of land for park use as well as a site for St. Francis-in-the-Wood church.
HORSESHOE BAY VILLAGE
Horseshoe Bay Horseshoe Bay is the western bookend of the North Shore and the gateway to Howe Sound. It’s here that you can board a BC Ferry for a 20-minute ride to beautiful Bowen Island to explore to your heart’s content – by foot, bicycle or vehicle. But many come to Horseshoe Bay just for the view, as well as other familyfun activities. In addition to the ferries chugging in and out, there are boats here at Sewell’s Marina, which has been owned by the same family for three generations. Why not rent a boat yourself? Try your hand at fishing or just enjoy the magnificent surroundings while bouncing along the waves. For more information on boat rentals and tours, see page 10.
LIGHTHOUSE PARK
26 North Shore Visitors Guide www.vancouversnorthshore.com
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There’s also a nice playground for kids and benches and grassy areas for sitting and relaxing. One favourite activity is getting fish and chips or an oyster burger from one of the takeout restaurants and eating it in the park overlooking the water or down on the small beach. Another is buying an ice cream cone and wandering along the pier. Throughout the village are many charming boutiques and eateries to visit and enjoy. Just west of Horseshoe Bay is Whytecliff Park, a natural marine sanctuary and popular scuba-diving spot where harbour seals and other marine life can be spotted. You’ll also find a playground, a few short trails, picnic spots, a swimming beach, café and tennis courts in this 15+ hectare park.
VANCOUVER’S NORTH SHORE
Lighthouse Park is one of the community’s most appealing destinations. Its forest trails lead to enormous boulders that tumble down to the Pacific Ocean and offer one of West Vancouver’s most spectacular views. The park also contains the Point Atkinson Lighthouse, which has an interesting history dating back to the spring of 1874. Point Atkinson, named by Captain Vancouver for a particular friend when he sailed past this rocky point in 1792, was officially designated a National Historic Site in 1994.