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CHILLIWACK'S HERITAGE PARK
on FAIRFIELD ISLAND

Gwynne Vaughan Park and its gracious 1896 Heritage House was gifted to the City of Chilliwack by avid gardener, Gwynne Vaughan. 

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The park features 6.8 acres of gardens featuring speciman trees, shrubs, an extensive formal perennial garden, sprawling lawns, a large field and a heritage orchard.  

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Dozens of locals enjoy the peaceful beauty of the park every single day. 

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The 30 community garden plots are allocated to local gardeners annually.

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Heritage House at Gwynne Vaughan Park
Event Venue
Rotary Pavilion at Gwynne Vaughan Park

 A PLACE to CELEBRATE

Weddings - Picnics - Parties

The Rotary Pavilion is a popular venue for weddings, picnics, family, club and community gatherings - and there are many other spots in the park - like the Heritage Orchard, the large field, or the Formal Gardens.

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There are picnic tables at the Pavilion. Power, water and washrooms are available for booked events.

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There is no set fee for picnics or parties - payment is by donation. Please check availability by clicking on our Calendar.

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Individuals and small groups are welcome to visit any time!

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Annual Plant Sale
Gwynne Vaughan Park Plant Sale Booth

ANNUAL 
PLANT 
SALE

 

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Saturday 1 June 2024  
9am-3pm

Our Annual Plant Sale & Garden Party on the first Saturday in June every year, is our only fundraiser.

All proceeds go towards the maintenance of the garden and heritage house.

Enjoy our beautiful park as you shop for herbs, hanging baskets, shrubs, trees, succulents and garden decor. We also have food, music and plenty of free parking.
 

2024 VENDORS

Community Gardens

Community Gardens

There are 30 Community Garden plots which are allocated on an annual basis. We always have a waiting list, so if you're interested, please use the contact form on our Community Garden page.

Community Gardeners must be paid-up members of the Gwynne Vaughan Park Society.
Maria in the Community Gardens at Gwynne Vaughan Park
Gwynne Vaughan

Adelaide Gwynne Vaughan

1907-1993

Adelaide Gwynne Vaughan was born to Welsh parents and lived almost all of her life in the house that the Gwynne Vaughan Park Society preserves today.

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"Gwynnie" was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable gardener and most of the heritage and specimen trees were either planted by her, or under her direction. As an active member of the Chilliwack Horticultural Society (now the Chilliwack Garden Club) she established an award for the best Narcissus in its annual Spring Show, and it is still awarded in her name.

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She enjoyed a good game of bridge and was an expert badminton player.

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After marrying in the early 50's, she and husband Sam Bateman lived in Saskatchewan for a few years before returning to Chilliwack where they lived in her old home, enjoying their garden and a wide range of friends

Heritage House at Gwynne Vaughan Park
Board and Committees

2023 Board

PRESIDENT                          Jo Hirschman      

PAST PRESIDENT                 Don Forbes         

TREASURER/SECRETARY    Beth Gillespie

RECORDING SECRETARY   Debora Soutar

GROUNDS                           Jack Allen

ARBORIST                            Dale Seguin

COMMUNITY GARDENS     Lisa Ballam

COMMUNICATIONS           Lynne Goodwin

FRIENDS OF THE PARK      Deb Ego

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Committees

MEMBERSHIP                 Gordon Gillespie        

RESERVATIONS              Beth Gillespie / Lynne Goodwin

HOUSE & BUILDINGS    Jack Allen /Lynne Goodwin / Lisa Ballam

PLANT SALE                   Beth Gillespie / Jack Allen / Lynne Goodwin / Debora Soutar

                  

HOME
Friends

Friends OF The Park

March - October
Tueday mornings  9am-11am
(followed by coffee)

Our Park looks as good as it does because of the work and commitment of a group of enthusiastic gardeners who gather weekly to weed, trim, prune and plant. 

 

Friends of the Park was formed in 2003 by Ken Wilson (former chief horticulturalist for Parks Canada in Ottawa), when it became clear that the Spring and Fall work days could not meet the maintenance requirements of the Park.

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“Friends” meets every Tuesday morning from 9:00 – 11:00, March to October, followed by coffee and socialising. Turnout varies every week, with anywhere from 8 to 20 gardeners. 

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To join this friendly group of keen gardeners, just show up at the Park any Tuesday morning! For more information email us by clicking the button.

"You can never have too many friends"

Membership

Become a Member

Gwynne Vaughan Park Society 

Annual Membership $10

Lifetime Membership $100

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Make cheques payable to:

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or etransfer gwynnevaughanpark@gmail.com

park memorial bench

Memorial Benches

Throughout the park you will see many memorial benches, dedicated to family members and loved ones.

We are often asked about how to go about arranging a bench.

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This is administered by the City of Chilliwack.

Information is available on the City website.

The application form is also available on that page.

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flower

A Park for All Seasons

We are extremely grateful to Park volunteer and photographer, David Gillespie, who has given us permission to use his incredible pictures on our site.

Our gardens are lovingly and expertly curated and maintained by the Society's volunteers in close collaboration with the City of Chilliwack. No matter what the season, there is so much to see and experience at the Park.
 

House
Gwynne Vaughan Park heritage hhouse

Heritage House

Part of our Society's mandate is to preserve and maintain the distinctive heritage house in the park. Over the years we have done a great deal of restoration inside and outside the house.

Photographer: David Gillespie

Our events

Perennials
columbine flower

Perennial Favourites

Enjoy some of the beautiful perennial plants from our Park!

Photographer: David Gillespie

Our events