Deep Cove, North Vancouver

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"Deep Cove" redirects here. For the community in Newfoundland and Labrador, see Deep Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Deep Cove at dusk, looking northeast. The marina is to the left.

Deep Cove refers to the fjord and a neighbourhood in the easternmost part of the District of North Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada. Located at the foot of Mount Seymour, The cove faces due east, fronting on to Indian Arm, itself a branch of Burrard Inlet, which forms Vancouver's inner harbour. The area is the traditional territory of the Tsleil-Waututh and Sḵwxwú7mesh, the Indigenous, of the Coast Salish First Nations. Deep Cove is 13 kilometres (8 miles) from downtown Vancouver.

[edit] History

Deep Cove, or Deepwater as it was first known, is located in the traditional clamming and fishing area of the Squamish Salish native nation who lived and still live in the area for thousands of years. Spanish and English Naval explorers scouted the arm in the eighteen century, and by the mid-nineteenth whales were being caught and flensed on the Cove's shores.

Deep Cove became a popular summer resort for Vancouver residents in the 1910s, with cabins, logging and granite quarrying featuring in the local history. For many years, the focal point of the community included a yacht club, dance hall and general store.

The population slowly grew in the 1960s and 1970s, when access to the area improved following the completion of the Second Narrows Bridge to Vancouver in 1960. However, Deep Cove held on to its rural feel, and a large, open horse paddock sat adjacent to Gallant Avenue in this period. Today, the Cove remains a popular attraction in the district, and residents from neighbouring Cove Cliff, Dollarton, Parkgate, Indian Arm and Woodlands areas like to call it home too.

[edit] Recreation

Deep Cove runs kayaking activities from the marina, among other sports.

With its proximity to forests, mountains, skiing, parks and the water, Deep Cove is well known among outdoor recreation enthusiasts. The Deep Cove Bike Shop, a local institution, brought the first mountain bikes to Vancouver in the early 1980s. Picnicking in Panorama Park overlooking the Cove, particularly with a Deep Cove Deli's delicious deep fried honeydonut, is a popular undertaking. The local pizza house has a cult following too. The "Cove" as it is known hosts a Rowing Club, Deep Cove Canoe Rental, marina as well; it is an increasingly popular small boat centre. The Baden Powell Trail leading up to the lookout point, Quarry rock, has become a popular spot for visitors, especially in the summers. The Community Centre with an art gallery, stage, and archive is also well-visited.

[edit] Education

Deep Cove is served by two community schools, Cove Cliff Elementary and Seycove Secondary, as well as two other schools in the surrounding area. Students participating in the French immersion program attend Argyle Secondary School, or Dorothy Lynas Elementary School.

[edit] Notable residents

Canadian artist Charles van Sandwyck spent his teen years in Deep Cove. The actor Ben Affleck had a residence in Deep Cove in the early 2000s. The writer Malcolm Lowry lived as a squatter in nearby Dollarton in the 1940s. Darren Schemmeler, the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, is also from Deep Cove.