For this month’s outing 21 Loopers gathered by the Fraser River at the foot of Kerr Street under partly cloudy skies. Our route took us up Kerr Street to Marine Drive, where we joined a wooded trail that circumnavigates the Fraserview Golf Course. We traveled clockwise around the course, the first part through a fairly wild area.
In the 1990s there was a proposal to expand the golf course and build a condo development as well. This would have meant cutting down many of the trees. The neighbourhood successfully fought the proposal and the following was written at that time.
“The trails are thick with towering cedar, hemlock and Douglas fir. On some mornings you can hear pheasants squawking from the berry bushes, or coyotes howling to each other through the trees. It’s hard to imagine that here in South East Vancouver there is this remnant forest, one of the last pieces of real forest left in Vancouver, standing between the fairways of Fraserview golf course, 221 acres bounded roughly by Marine Drive, Kerr Road, Elliott and Rosemont …”
—from Terry Glavin’s 1998 Vancouver Sun article
One outcome of the process was the creation of the perimeter path as well as the planting of a large number of new trees, including a variety of fruit trees.
Upon reaching Kerr Road again the group crossed into Everett Crowley Park. This park is built on top of what was once Vancouver’s main garbage dump. The dump closed in the 1960s and the land was left vacant until 1987, when the current park was opened. Its namesake, Everett Crowley, was the owner of Avalon Dairy and a Vancouver Parks Board commissioner. As we entered the park a number of the group chose to climb Mt. Everett, the highest point in the park, with a somewhat obstructed view to the south.
Regrouping, we proceeded to the east, stopping for a break by Avalon Pond near the centre of the park. After exiting the park we followed a series of urban trails with colourful names (Grey Gum, Red Alder, Blue Elderberry) through Champlain Heights to Boundary Road.
Crossing into Burnaby, we walked along the south boundary of Ocean View Cemetery and then down into Kaymar Ravine. For much of the way Kaymar Creek flows along through a man-made waterway lined with small stones. Emerging at Marine Drive, we crossed and followed the Glen Lyon Urban Trail down toward the Fraser River.
The southernmost section of the trail was closed due to construction, necessitating a brief detour through an industrial warehouse area. After reaching the river we headed west to our starting point.
Post-walk refreshments were enjoyed at Romer’s Burger Bar.
Photos by Adrienne, Michael, Fred, Jon
Loopers 2020 — Water Walks 
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