May Day, May Day Traditional Cache

A child-friendly cache in a park that is frequently busy with muggles. Here is a lesson for working with nanos. When putting back the rolled up log sheet, put it into the lid section first and then attach the bottom. This makes retrieving the log easier for the next person.

Back when West Vancouver was a kinder, friendlier place with a stronger sense of community, people would gather at Ambleside Park on the last Monday in May (before the 25th) to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday. The day would start off with a huge parade from Dundarave to the park, lead by the West Vancouver Boys and Girls Band in their traditional blue uniforms. Local businesses would sponsor floats and the fire department and Blue Bus people would join in with antique and current vehicles. People would sit on wooden bleachers in an oval around the grass field at Ambleside and watch the "Queen of the May" enter riding in a convertible escorted by Seaforth and Air Cadets. The May Queen was chosen from one of the elementary schools in West Van and she had two or three maids of honor. There was often a race between runners from North Van High and West Van High that started at Horseshoe Bay and ended in the park. The finale was maypole dancing performed by girls from all the elementary schools who created intricate patterns with long ribbons attached to the top of 10 foot poles. This always seemed to be the first day in the spring when sunburns started showing up as the events lasted a couple of hours under normally sunny skies. Later in the evening there was a dance "The May Day Ball" for teenagers at West Van High School. Unfortunately this tradition ceased in 1973.