Vancouver’s tropical Bloedel Conservatory reopens

The Bloedel Conservatory at Queen Elizabeth Park has finally reopened after being closed for months while it underwent renovations to make the venue more accessible to people in wheelchairs, walkers, and little ones in strollers.

Emily Schultz, the conservatory’s supervisor of revenue and visitor services, says the upgrades were long overdue because the previous pathways dated back to the original build from the 1960s.

“They were made up of a combination of asphalt and paving stones and sat on top of sand,” she said.

“They had passed their end-of-life, and over time they were starting to shift, making little gaps and making it not [such an] even, smooth surface. It was time for a change, so we put in flagstone pathways, creating a nice smooth surface that makes it safer for little kids to walk around.”

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The new renovations make it easier for visitors to take in over 500 species of plants and experience all the exotic sounds.

The Bloedel Conservatory is also home to many exotic birds, such as 24-year-old Kramer — a cockatoo from Indonesia who has lived at the conservatory for 10 years.

“I like all the birds,” a little boy told CityNews. “They are cute and chubby.”

Shultz calls the space a tropical paradise here at home.

“It’s very warm and humid in here,” she said.

“It is usually 20-21 C. It’s the perfect place to come when it’s a rainy cold day…one of the most affordable family attractions.”

CityNews spoke to a patron who was visiting the attraction with a baby.

“It’s been great. We have gone around the loop a couple of times and it was easy for him to see the birds from the stroller,” he said. “We will go back around and see everything we can.”

Another patron was there with her 15-month-old baby. She recalls what the old surfaces were like.

“There were lots of steps last time,” she said. “It wasn’t that accessible but now definitely it is.”

Another patron recalled first coming to the Bloedel Conservatory 50 years ago, now returning with his wife, who uses a walker to get around.

“It is pretty good for accessibility,” he said. “In fact, it looks pretty good all around.”

The Bloedel Conservatory is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.