Lonsdale Quay
Markus standing at Waterfront Park with the downtown Vancouver skyline in the back in North Vancouver
Once in a while at the Pawcific Explorer, we like to give you a breakdown of places that aren't really parks or trails, but are just great places to visit. This week, we're bringing you one of those updates, but we do also include a "park" portion of this post albeit a smaller one. We're bringing you one of our favourite places to visit in the Vancouver area - Lonsdale Quay located in North Vancouver, British Columbia.
About Lonsdale Quay
Growing up, Lonsdale Quay was always a place that we'd love to visit. Getting there on the SeaBus from downtown Vancouver was fun and on a nice summer day, there's something about looking out over the water and seeing the Vancouver skyline off in the background off in the distance. The area has since undergone a lot of upgrades and development, so much so that when we recently passed by with Markus, we hardly recognized some of the places!
Markus standing the iconic lit up Q at Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver
If you've been to Granville Island, the Lonsdale Quay Market reminds me a lot of the Public Market on Granville Island, but in a smaller scale. Inside, there are shops reminiscent of the ones you'll find in Granville Island along with stalls of specialty foods and delicacies. Since this is a marketplace, you won't be able to bring your dog inside, so we'll spend the rest of this post focusing on what there is to do outside with your dog.
The place where a lot of people end up gathering is by the water right outside the market. There is an area for visitors to sit and enjoy the view of the water with downtown Vancouver in the distance. It is one of our favourite places to catch a glimpse of Vancouver's skyline.
Waterfront Park
Type: Park
Size: Medium
Enclosed: No
Doors: None
Traffic: Low to Moderate
From here, you can work upwards towards the busier streets where there are other smaller shops, but we like to make our way west through the Spirit Trail towards a smaller hidden park called Waterfront Park. During sunset on a clear day, this park has one of the best views that Vancouver has to offer. If you happen upon one of those reddish, orange Vancouver sunsets, the view with the water and the Vancouver skyline in the back is absolutely breathtaking.
Markus standing on a bench in the gazebo-like structure in Waterfront Park, North Vancouver
Waterfront Park has a gazebo-like structure that's built on top of a dock, over the water. Under the roof of this structure is a quiet area for sitting, a great place to take in the view. Here, you might notice a flat, but wide looking boat going back and forth in the water. This is the SeaBus, which brings commuters from downtown Vancouver to North Vancouver just next to Lonsdale Quay. The boat ride is about 10-12 minutes either way, but unfortunately, dogs aren't allowed onboard!
The park has plenty of grass for your dog to find a spot or two and there's also a children's playground. This area gets busy with people going for walks, children and also dogs. We've come across quite a few dogs here, including some that weren't leashed. If your dog is reactive, be assured that it is a very big open space, but just know that there can be unleashed dogs in the area.
Although the Lonsdale Quay area isn't a traditional park with trails, it is one of our places to go simply because of the view. If you're in need of a dose of beautiful nature, this is a great place to stop by especially during the sunset in the summertime!
Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs
Whether it’s Lonsdale Quay or the Waterfront Park, we had no issues bringing Markus here. Lonsdale Quay gets a lot of foot traffic and that area’s a bit more closed off, but it’s still fairly wide open and your dog should have the space it needs as well. At the Waterfront Park, even though there was an off-leash dog we didn’t have any issues either because it’s an open park. Although there’s a lot of foot traffic that comes through this area as well, there doesn’t seem to be too many dogs and even then it’s easy to avoid the other dogs since it’s a big open space.
Map from Lonsdale Quay to Waterfront Park
Path from Lonsdale Quay to the Waterfront Park
Disclaimer
Markus is a reactive, but not aggressive dog. His instinct is to avoid other dogs and he may growl, bark or lunge if provoked, but will not attack. We normally do not have issues with leashed dogs when both sides are controlled, but we will be on guard when an oncoming dog is not leashed. There are varying levels to a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide if this park, trail or hotel is appropriate for your dog. Our visits generally will not include off-leash areas; most experiences shared on The Markus Project are within leashed or undefined areas.
Please remember that our past experience visiting a park, trail or hotel may not be the same as your experience at the same park, trail or hotel. We have no control of who visits the park and whether they adhere to park rules - like leashing their dogs on leash-required paths - or not. Please use your discretion with the information provided and with your personal knowledge of your dog’s reactivity when visiting these parks, trails or hotels.
