Park & Tilford Gardens

North Vancouver, Canada

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Park & Tilford Gardens in North Vancouver, Canada, was created by the Canadian Park & Tilford Distilleries Ltd. and officially dedicated in 1969 as a public display garden covering about 2 acres.

Designed by landscape architect Harry Webb, the garden features eight themed areas including a Colonnade Garden, Oriental Garden, Rose Garden, Native Wood Garden, and Rhododendron Garden, arranged like interconnected cogs in a machine to maximize the use of the small space. It was originally intended as a beautification project for the distillery but quickly became a popular community attraction, drawing over 100,000 visitors annually during its early years.

Following the distillery's closure in 1984, the gardens fell into disrepair, but due to strong community advocacy and a protective covenant, it remains a valued public space with mature trees, original garden features, and a cultural heritage reflected in its Indigenous and Japanese garden sections.

Today, local volunteers known as Friends of the Gardens help maintain the site, though some original features have deteriorated with time, and ongoing restoration efforts are in place to preserve this unique urban heritage garden.