Tsawwassen, British Columbia

Location of

Tsawwassen's BC Ferry terminal.

Tsawwassen is a suburban, mostly residential community in the southwestern part of the Corporation of Delta, British Columbia, Canada. The name means "looking toward the sea" in the local native language (Coast Salish), and is commonly pronounced or . Tsawwassen provides the only road access to the community of Point Roberts via 56th Street. It is also the location of BC Ferries' flagship terminal, built in 1959 to provide foot-passenger and motor vehicle access from the Lower Mainland to the southern part of Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands. Because Tsawwassen touches a shallow bank, the ferry terminal is built at the southwestern end of a 3 km-long causeway that juts out into the Strait of Georgia. The ferry dock and causeway are part of Highway 17, and the ferry terminal is the largest in North America. Boundary Bay Airport, one of the busiest general aviation airports in Canada, is located ten minutes away. The Roberts Bank Superport is also located in Tsawwassen.

Tsawwassen had a population of 21,090 in the 2001 census.

Its global position is .

Location

Tsawwassen is situated on the northern end of a peninsula flanked by the Straight of Georgia to the west and Boundary Bay to the east. Boundary Bay is an important stopover for migratory birds on what is known as the Pacific Flyway. Tsawwassen has recreational access to Boundary Bay at Centennial Park, and there is an extensive bike/foot path running along the edge of the Bay, known as the Dyke.

The southern boundary of Tsawwassen is the border with the United States, following the 49th parallel of north latitude. To the north, Tsawwassen's nearest neighbour is the town of Ladner, which is also part of the Corporation of Delta. Together, Ladner and Tsawwassen make up the area known as South Delta. Ladner is the site of the Delta Municipal Hall, and both the police station and hospital serving Ladner and Tsawwassen.

Transportation

Main Streets

Tsawwassen is divided up into a grid with streets running north/south and east/west. Running east/west are the avenues, numbered with 1st Avenue closest to the Canadian/American border. Running north/south, the streets are numbered following the grid laid out for the municipality of Delta. This grid is part of the greater street grid set out by the British Royal Engineers in the 19th Century.

Theoreticaly, 1st Street is located in the middle of the Georgia Strait between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. In actual fact the lowest numbered street is 30B Street in the western portion of Ladner on Brunswick Point to the north. In Tsawwassen the lowest numbered street is 49 Street, the street numbering continues up through the 100's in North Delta.

The main arterial street in Tsawwassen is 56th Street, which provides the only legal land access to the hamlet and geographical anomaly of Point Roberts, in Washington, USA (upon which it becomes Tyee Drive). This crossing is the westernmost border crossing on the 49th parallel between Canada and the USA.

56th Street is the main entrance to Tsawwassen from Highway 17. Along its length 56th Street is home to most of Tsawwassen's commercial areas, including three malls and the supermarkets clustered around 12th Ave (referred to as "downtown Tsawwassen" by residents). In recent years there has been a significant effort to beautify 56th Street, with palm trees, lighting, banners and new buildings. There are also large parks, and a few undeveloped areas along its length, before this road reaches the Canadian-American border. 56th Street runs due north/south for its entire 5.6 km run. South of 12th Ave, the road used to be known as Point Roberts Road. North of 12th Ave, all the way to 28th Ave, it used to be known as Boundary Bay Road. (Boundary Bay Road's name has still been retained as a segment of road at the east end of 12th Ave.)

Trachycarpus_fortunei_56_st_tsawwassen_bc.jpg

Palm trees (Trachycarpus Fortunei) along 56 Street, Tsawwassen, British Columbia

Transit

Tsawwassen is serviced by Translink, the transit company that manages bus, Skytrain, and Seabus routes in the Vancouver metropolitan area.
*The major route from Tsawwassen is the #601, noted as "VANCOUVER" northbound or "SOUTH DELTA" southbound. It runs every half hour from 5:30am to 1am weekdays and weekends, except in the evenings when it runs hourly. This bus also services Ladner as well.
*All other major bus routes from Tsawwassen are express bus routes, and operate during peak rush hour periods in the mornings and evenings. These routes bypass Ladner entirely and shave 20 minutes off the travel time of the #601. These routes are the #602 (VANCOUVER/TSAWWASSEN HEIGHTS), #603 (VANCOUVER/BEACH GROVE) and #604 (VANCOUVER/ENGLISH BLUFF).
*During some peak periods, the #601 route will also act as a spur into the Boundary Bay area of Tsawwassen.

All routes numbered #601 through #604 terminate in the heart of Vancouver's financial district at the Burrard Skytrain Station.
*The Tsawwassen ferry terminal is also accessible by the bus system; the #620 leaves the ferry terminal, stops at the Ladner Exchange, and then terminates near Vancouver International Airport.

Holidays & events

Since 2001, Tsawwassen has played an integral part of the Tour de Delta, a bike race that happens over a weekend in July. The racing weekend culminates in a race from North Delta, through Ladner, and then finally to Tsawwassen, where the men and women do various laps around Tsawwassen's perimeter until finishing in either Diefenbaker or Winskill Park. This race is growing in popularity and coverage with every year.

For many years, people selling their cars parked and displayed them in the east parking lot of Town Centre Mall on Sunday mornings and afternoons, where they can be seen by people passing through on the way to Point Roberts. For several years, the mall has charged a small fee and provided signage and a large designated area in which to display the cars. Dozens of cars and hundreds of shoppers now come from all over the Lower Mainland each Sunday.

In keeping with its reputation as the sunniest spot in the Greater Vancouver Region, every year on the August long weekend (for B.C. Day), Tsawwassen hosts the Sun Festival, which usually includes a parade, a variety of live music events and activities, such as children's games, food tents, and sporting events. There is often a specific theme to each year's event, and people are encouraged to dress the part.

Neighbourhoods and communities

On the southeast side of the peninsula is the community of Boundary Bay, which originated in the 1890's as a seaside summer community for wealthy Vancouverites. Some of the original cottages still stand, many as renovated and updated homes, as well as modern contemporary single family homes and waterfront architectural residences. To the south, "The Bay" as it is referred to by residents, borders on the neighbourhood of Maple Bay in Point Roberts, WA. A Canada/US customs checkpoint joined the two communities until it was closed in the 1970's. Currently, Boundary Bay Road provides the only access route.

Other areas within Tsawwassen which have names but are not necessarily distinct communities include:
*Beach Grove, which is situated on the edge of Boundary Bay, further north from the community of Boundary Bay. It is located on the east side of 56th St., between 12th and 17A Avenue.
*The Highlands, which is the area just to the northwest of Downtown Tsawwassen, behind the Town Centre Mall and situated around Highland Park.
*Pebble Hill, which is the area surrounding Diefenbaker Park.
*Tsawwassen Heights, a small area located on English Bluff Road, south of 1st Ave. Two totem poles stand on either side of the road here as its official gateway.
*The Terrace, a terraced subdivision located between 56th Street, the Tsawwassen Nature Reserve, and the American border.
*English Bluff, which refers to the area along English Bluff Road, where many of the most expensive homes in the community enjoy commanding ocean views.
*Stahaken, which refers to a large area of houses built on land belonging to the Tsawwassen First Nations Tribe. This land is leased to the Town of Tsawwassen on a hundred year basis; the current lease expires in 2089.
*The Village; adjacent to Stahaken, it is a very wealthy subdivision built on the west side of English Bluff Road, overlooking the Strait of Georgia. Another totem pole stands at its entrance at Wesley Drive.
*Tsatsu Shores, a large apartment complex beneath English Bluff, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. This is also built on land leased from the Tsawwassen First Nations Tribe.
*Forest-by-the-Bay, which refers to a housing development off 56th Street and 6th Avenue beside Tsawwassen's only cemetery.

Schools

Public schools in Tsawwassen are part of School District 37 Delta. Tsawwassen has only one public high school, South Delta Secondary School.

There are several public elementary schools in Tsawwassen. These include Cliff Drive, Pebble Hill, South Park, English Bluff, Beach Grove, and Boundary Beach Elementary Schools.

Southpointe Academy, a private K-12 school, also serves the area.

Parks

Tsawwassen contains many community and regional parks; Boundary Bay Regional Park (home to Centennial Beach) is run by the GVRD. The following parks are maintained by Delta Parks & Recreation, an arm of the municipal government:
*Diefenbaker Park - located at the intersection of 56th Street and 1st Avenue, named after former Canadian prime minister John Diefenbaker. Considered by some to be one of Tsawwassen's nicest parks, it features a bit of everything - open spaces and large hills, a waterfall, dock, and pond, old-growth forest, playgrounds, restrooms, and many gardens. This park is very popular in the winter when it snows (which is rare), as it is very suitable for sledding and tobogganing.
*Pebble Hill Park - located west of 52nd Street between 2A Avenue and Milsom Wynd. This park features large fields used for sports (baseball and soccer), tennis courts built atop a pair of water reservoirs, and many forest trails.
*Fred Gingell Park - Tsawwassen's newest park, located on English Bluff Road just south of 3rd Avenue. It is named after the former MLA who represented South Delta in BC's legislative assembly. Built on a BC Hydro right-of-way, this park sits on the top of a high bluff overlooking the Strait of Georgia, the ferry terminal, and Vancouver Island. An observation deck is built on this bluff, and a controversial stairway and trail have been built down the bluff to Tsawwassen Beach below.
*Winskill Park - located at 56th Street and 9th Avenue, named after one of the first families to live in Tsawwassen. This is Tsawwassen's all-purpose sports park, featuring numerous baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and field hockey fields. Also features a walking trail, disc golf course, restrooms, youth centre, playground, and the Winskill Aquatic Centre.
*Dennison Park - located across from the high school at the corner of 53rd Street and 7A Avenue. This park used to feature an outdoor pool, but is now primarily used as a sports park for the high school football team. Also used for soccer and baseball. A forest grows on the northern half of the park.
*Village Park - a very small community park located on Wesley Drive at Skana Drive. Mostly green space, but also features a playground.
*Brandrith Park - another sports park, adjacent to Cliff Drive Elementary school, at the corner of 12th Avenue and Winskill Drive. The focus here is primarily on its baseball diamond, but a soccer field and tennis courts are present as well. A forest can be found to the rear of the park; a large playground can be found at the adjacent schoolyard.
*Highland Park - mostly open green space with a light forest, located at the corner of 55th Street and 13A Avenue, in the heart of downtown Tsawwassen.
*Grauer Park - another heavily used park, located at 56th Street and 18th Avenue. Greenspace here is minimal. The park is best known as home to the South Delta Rec Centre (featuring an ice rink, curling rink, and gymnasium). The Kiwanis Longhouse (once the South Delta library) is in this park, and is now an art gallery. Also featured here is parking for the Tsawwassen Park and Ride, the Tsawwassen Skate Park, and a lacrosse box.
*Jackson Way Park - just grassy greenspace, found at the southern end of Jackson Way.
*Beach Grove Park - mostly forest, found at the corner of Braid Road and 17A Avenue, adjacent to Beach Grove Elementary school. This park once featured a giant checker board and checker pieces visitors could play with. Also features tennis courts.
*Beach Grove Mini-Park - a very small community park on Beach Grove Court, featuring a small playground.
*View Crescent Park - a very small greenspace joining the southeast corner of View Crescent with the north end of Hunter Road. It is located behind a commercial complex in Downtown Tsawwassen.

The following parks aren't named, per se, but still exist within Tsawwassen's boundaries:
*Imperial Park (local name)
*Wildwood Crescent Mini-Park
*Woodland Park
*Tsawwassen Nature Reserve

Tsawwassen on film

Due to being part of the Greater Vancouver area, which is the site of more film and television production than all other North American cities (apart from Los Angeles and New York), Tsawwassen has also appeared in numerous high-profile movies and television shows over the years. These include:

Shooting location

Shoot to Kill (1988)
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) - the indoor section of the Town Centre Mall was used for this film.
The X-Files (1993-2002) - various episodes had portions filmed in Tsawwassen.
Jumanji (1995) - all of the sequences shot at "Sir Saves-A-Lot" were filmed at an unused supermarket space (Super-Valu) in at the Delta Fair Mall, which used to be located at the southwest corner of 56th Street and 12th Avenue. This has since been demolished and replaced with the new Safeway and Bayside Village shopping centre.
Smallville (2001-present) - various episodes were filmed in Tsawwassen, as well as just outside of Tsawwassen on Deltaport Way near the Deltaport container port.
Insomnia (2002) - the sequences filmed in the lodge in which Al Pacino was sleeping were actually filmed in an unused space previously occupied by the restaurants Timothy's, the Manor, and others. It is located at the northeast corner of 12th Avenue and 55th Street; it is now the location of Century Holdings, a real estate agency.
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) - the location of Jean Grey's childhood home is located in the subdivision of Imperial Village, on Glen Abbey.
The Sandlot 3 (2007) Filming in Dennison Park

As part of the film itself

Scorn (2000) - a Canadian made-for-TV movie that aired on CBC, was a movie that prominently focused on Darren Huenemann, and his actions that would eventually lead to what would become a very high-profile murder that happened in Tsawwassen in the early 1990's.