HISTORY In 1966, while Canada prepared for its Centennial celebrations, two men in Vancouver had a grand vision. Stuart Lefeaux, Superintendent of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, and Deputy Superintendent Bill Livingstone wanted to do something that would enhance the image of Vancouver. Their vision was to build a Conservatory for exotic plants that would not only be educational, but would also be a beautiful place to visit. They approached Prentice Bloedel, of Macmillan Bloedel Limited, who put forward $1.4 million, in conjunction with contributions by the City of Vancouver and the Provincial Government, to build the Bloedel Conservatory, the fountains and the surrounding plaza. This was the largest civic gift given to Vancouver to date. The elements for the triodetic dome frame were manufactured in Ottawa and shipped 3,000 miles across the country to Queen Elizabeth Park. Once it arrived, the aluminum framework was erected in just 10 days although the entire Conservatory structure took over 1 year to complete. With unerring guidance by Charles Coupar, Bloedel’s first Garden Director, Stuart Lefeaux, Bill Livingston and Prentice Bloedel, the Grand Opening of the Conservatory took place on December 6, 1969 and hosted over 500,000 people in its first year of operation.