One day last winter, as I sat staring blankly out the Skytrain window, I noticed a gravel path running along the Fraser River just below the CN and CP railroad tracks that run below Columbia Street. I wondered where it started and where it ended? Was it public or private? What was that big red building and pier beside it? A moment later the train pulled into Sapperton Station where I got off and walked up the hill to my little apartment.
Some months later, when I was feeling particularly sorry for myself, I set out to find that path. I had a rough idea where to start looking and was there fifteen minutes after leaving home. Just as I had crossed the railroad tracks and spotted the Sapperton Landing entrance sign it began to rain. Not a downpour mind you, but I was soaked through pretty quickly, adding to my already miserable mood. I began to cry as I walked along the gravel path not yet able to see the river. A moment later I came across a small wharf, where the Brunette Creek meets the Fraser River, with a half dozen small fishing boats. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted something moving in the water. I watched as this brown, furry creature dove and surfaced with grace, much more grace that I'd expect from a beaver. After a few minutes it dove and didn't come back up within my line of sight so I continued on down the path. As I walked I wondered what other delights were to be found at Sapperton Landing.
My mood began to lighten even though the rain seemed to be getting stronger, funny how mother nature can cheer me up without even trying. I soon came across the big red building I had seen from the Skytrain. In front of the building was an info sign. It told of the Cross-town Greenway that Vancouver and all it's suburbs were working together to create - the hope being to have green spaces joining the cities for generations to come. It also mentioned that the Kwantlen people had settled there for hundreds of years, until the arrival of Europeans. Apparently, during the 1850's Britain had sent her Royal Engineers there to build British Columbia's first penitentiary and the red building had been the original wharf where supplies and prisoners alike were brought ashore oh so long ago.
Beyond the red Wharf building the gravel path follows the Fraser River for about a quarter mile and is lined with many different types of indigenous, well manicured flora; none of which I know the name save one, the wild rose bush. As I walked along the path I crossed one of two short wooden bridges that span the section of the park that has been lowered to let the Fraser River overflow into and create a small marsh. There are several grassy areas, with little islands of inlaid tile depicting Kwantlen artwork and at least a dozen twelve foot poles with nesting boxes for the local birds. There are benches strategically placed along the path, and several wooden lookouts where one may rest and just enjoy the view. Strange, the other side of the river bank is highly industrial, yet I still enjoy the view.
When walking through the park keep your eyes peeled in all directions and you're almost guaranteed to see fauna. In the spring and summer there are a pair each of herons, Canada geese and mallard ducks who call Sapperton Landing home. Not to mention all the seagulls, sparrows, song birds, robins chickadees, crows and the predators that hunt them. In the fall and winter many of these birds move south and are replaced by brown ducks that just pass through and two different types of diving ducks with white and black plumage who stay till spring before moving on. You never know what you might see, one time a silly seagull made me laugh. It would fly upriver then land on the river and ride the current backwards for the length of the park then fly back upriver and do it again and again. Silly seagull, I wondered if his name might be Jonathan. Another time I chased a big old bumblebee in a hedge of yellow flowers trying desperately to take its picture. I bet the seagull thought me to be a silly human at that sight. Another time I saw a small group of seals moving up river presumably fishing. I have yet to see any snakes, frogs, tadpoles, toads, salamanders, mice, rabbits or any other small critters save one. I think they were voles and it was a cold, wet, autumn day when I spotted them.
I've been back to Sapperton Landing many, many times rain or shine since that first day. I love to take pictures, so on dry days I would take my old-point-and-shoot camera with me. My goal was to catch that beaver on camera, as well as any other denizens of Sapperton Landing. It was spring when I first started going to the park and I was fascinated by the constant change within it. There were these two small trees in particular that caught my eye. I don't know what type of trees they were, but they sure were funny looking. Their bare branches told me they were deciduous, except their branches weren't exactly bare. There were hundreds of dry, dead leaves clinging to the trees' innermost branches. These trees seemed out of place to me. It had been warm spring and all the other trees and bushes were showing signs of new growth, but not these two trees. I took a picture and moved on. I watched those two trees as spring turned to summer and noticed that one of them had an active bird nest in it. Excited, I took several pictures of the nest and was looking forward to watching the nest's activity over the next few weeks. A few days later I noticed a lot of broken robin's eggs in the area and wondered whether they had hatched or if a predator had been around.
