This morning, my dad & I did a hike at Uplands Park in Oak Bay. It was a cold but sunny day and we parked at Cattle Point to start our route. The overall shape of our “loop” might look a bit strange if you check out the screenshot I took of our route. We were specifically trying to accomplish “verified completed route” on the AllTrails app, so we followed the prescribed route to a tee.  The result was a lot of zig zagging and doubling back. Overall, we walked 4 kilometres with just 28 meters of elevation. This took us 56 minutes.

Hiking Statistics from AllTrails

I thought that our visit to Uplands Park was especially fitting given that Remembrance Day is coming up and Uplands Park features the Oak Bay Cenotaph. This 9-foot tall instalment commemorates 97 Oak Bay men and women who lost their lives in World War Two. Bronze plaques have subsequently been added to commemorate those who died in other wars/peace keeping missions. Here is a video of a Remembrance Day Ceremony held at the Oak Bay Cenotaph in Uplands Park:

My great-grandfather fought in World War 2. My grandfather also served as a peace keeper in Cyprus. Every year my grandfather puts on his uniform and medals to attend a ceremony with his fellow Newfie veterans. This year however, because of COVID-19, Remembrance Day is going to look a lot different.

Oak Bay Cenotaph in Uplands Park

Why you should do this hike: The view from Cattle Point is beautiful (!). This hike is accessible via public transit (#11 bus route) and there is an enormous amount of free parking at Cattle Point. Overall, this walk is very flat, with very little to no elevation.

Drawbacks/be aware of: This is a very popular spot (lots of people and doggos). Also, certain parts of Uplands Park are quite muddy, so be sure to wear good footwear.

An Interesting Looking Tree in Uplands Park

Photo by me.