Did you know Lord Stanley Suites on the Park is named after an actual person? And that he was the one who influenced the development of a sporting event that is ingrained in the psyche of every Canadian man, woman and child? Here’s the lowdown: If you go for a stroll in Stanley Park and wander into a clearing in the midst of a forested area across from the Vancouver Rowing Club, chances are you’ll see a large statue of a very imposing figure: Lord Stanley of Preston, Canada’s 6th Governor General and the namesake of Stanley Park.
Most people are surprised to discover that it was this man who not only suggested an annual amateur ice hockey match to be played in the Dominion of Canada (as it was known as then) but that he also donated the eponymous Cup: the symbol of hockey supremacy. Fast forward to present day where hockey is our national obsession, where crazed fans dream of their team possessing the holy grail of trophies and where one of the most hotly debated topics in Vancouver is how the Canucks are faring this year’s NHL match ups. Although you won’t have the privilege to see the actual Stanley Cup trophy (it’s in Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame), you can definitely enjoy the 1000 acre park replete with beaches, tennis courts, playgrounds, restaurants, an aquarium and a seawall; it’s no wonder that Trip Advisor voted Stanley Park as the #1 park in the world!