The City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Park Board, together with Grade 5 students at Tyee Elementary, celebrated the announcement of the new park, “Gibby’s Field” on Sept. 18, 2024. The coming together of Gibby’s Field would not have been possible without community organizers advocating for preservation of this green space.

Located near Tyee Elementary, Gibby’s Field has served as an invaluable outdoor classroom for students. Here, they have explored local river tributary systems and learned about the wildlife that once habituated the area. With revitalization efforts now underway, students are hopeful for a resurgence of the wildlife.

During the celebration, several students shared their thoughts on the significance of Gibby’s Field

“I live [very close] and every day when I go to school and come back I can see wildlife and all these plants working in perfect harmony,” says Declan.

“What I love about Gibby’s Field is that the first time we went, we learned all about the history and what it used to be back in the day and I really like it. I learned that salmon used to live here, which his really cool because typically fish don’t’ live in this area. It’s really cool for me to find out. I’m looking forward to going to this park to have picnic with my family and it looks really beautiful,” says Tristan.

“I like this park because it is so interesting, and during the construction I like having people around because you have no idea how many times I’ve accidentally booted the ball over the fence. I can’t wait to see the bat houses and how things will look when we go study them,”  says Immanuel.

“I’ve watched the progress in Gibby’s Field for the last year now.  I‘m really excited to see the bat houses and learn more about them and I’m really excited to see the river out of the ground for the first time,” says Huxley.

 “We are excited to hang out with our friends here and to see the stream,”  adds Hailey and Caitlin.

“I’m excited to see what Gibby’s Field will look like, to come here with my friends and family and see the new place and have fun,” shares Liam.

 “We both really enjoy learning about the native plants and how they can help people in their everyday life, such as stinging nettle,” adds Clare and Scarlet.

At the end of the celebration, students painted their collective imagined creatures on to the walkway to mark the beginning of a new colourful path for Gibby’s Field.