The Soccer Fields of Hillcrest Park

Until after WWII the area that became Hillcrest Park was a bog with house construction avoiding it. It was improved into a park and field sports started in the late 1940's. The Vancouver Curling Club founded in 1925 in Vancouver's West End relocated to Hillcrest in 1949. North America's "best little stadium", Nat Bailey Stadium, opened its doors in 1951. In 1951 Little Mountain Baseball was created at Hillcrest Park and became the very first chartered little league in Canada. The racquets club was established in 1953.


Rino at the Nat with Rick Horvath, "stitch", etc. (non Westside / pre Westside)

Rino Orsato, stalwart Westside FC builder played at Hillcrest in the 1950's. From the 1960s on all kinds of future Westside FC players (Westsiders) were playing Little League at Hillcrest - as the allstar program brought kids in everyone from across the City. Meanwhile top local and regional soccer was happening at Hillcrest and in Nat Bailey Stadium. Westside Football Club was established in 1978 and has had its home fields at Hillcrest since the 1980s.


1993 BC and Canadian Champions, 1993-94 VMSL Premier League and Imperial Cup Champions


Coming soon ...

2000 Hillcrest Master Plan
2003 Successful Olympic Bid
2004-2006 Hillcrest Master Planning
2006 to 2012 Impact of the Olympics
VPB / CoV / VANOC Future Commitments



Fisheye Photo by Marcello Pavan. Get larger version to fully enjoy the old fieldhouse 4 game panorama.


A few of the boys enjoying the old four game panorama from outside the fieldhouse in 2005


Last photo before the desecration of Hillcrest Centre and Hillcrest West in 2006

 
     
 
© Westside FC 2003-09::