1967:
It’s been 57 years since the first Stanley Park Easter Be-In. A local take on the be-in that had taken place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park two months before and set the tone for the Summer of Love.
Vancouver’s event was much smaller, but about a thousand hippies, and three times as many onlookers, turned up at Ceperley Park near Second Beach in March 1967, wearing colourful beaded vests with jeans and tattered evening gowns, even monk and clown costumes. They danced to bands like Country Joe and the Fish, dropped LSD, and carried signs that read, Make Love, Not War, and Burn Pot, Not People.
This event officially marked the beginnings of Vancouver’s counterculture and set the stage for the launch of the movement’s newspaper, the Georgia Straight, the first issue of which hit the streets on May 5 1967, with a cover price of 10 cents.
1972:
The sixth annual Easter Be-In was held on April 2, 1972. Less than three weeks later, the Park Board would unleash the bulldozers and demolish the hippy huts in All Seasons Park. Thanks to their tenacity and ability to live without running water (the hippies not the Parks Board), instead of a huge hotel and condo development, we have Devonian Harbour Park.
1973:
On April 22, 1973, when Bruce Stewart shot these fabulous photos, the Be-In was in its seventh year. About 10,000 people turned up to listen High Flying Bird, Brain Damage, Dandy Tripper Band and One Man’s Family. It was still counterculture, if not as novel as it had once been, and the story made its way out of Vancouver into the Star-Phoenix in Saskatoon and the Windsor Star in Ontario. The biggest issue that year was the traffic jam in the Stanley Park Causeway.
Sax Man is Ross Barrett. Ross, who also played flute and keyboard, was in the psychedelic band Mock Duck, and around the time this photo was taken, was with Sunshyne, playing with Bruce Fairbairn and drummer Jim Vallance.
1974:
In April 1974, A headline in the Vancouver Sun quoted a teen who called the Be-in “kind of boring.”
By 1977, less than a thousand turned out for the April Be-In and the festival moved to Semiahmoo.
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If memory serves, I was present as a 15 year old for the 1967 Stanley Park Be-In. It might be of interest that an ancient archaeological beach boulder petroglyph (rock carving) nearby might have been modified after one of the Be-Ins at the park. Let me know if this is of interest and I can email you details from my archaeological field report (research done several decades post-Be-Ins of course).
Hi Stan. I remember some of the late 60’s early 70’s be-ins. If my memory serves, some of the later ones were more towards the Totems near Brocton Point and extended to Lumberman’s Arch. I think Mac Nelson was with us.
What a blast Time it was and what a time it was…
This is tremendous coverage of this seminal event, has Bruce Stewart been sitting on these images for a long time? I’m maybe a little surprised (pleasantly) that I’ve never seen them before. They also look to be fresh scans. I’m also wondering if he was using negative or positive film. Given the relatively crappy negative films of the era I suspect he might have been shooting Kodachrome or Ektachrome…
All these images, over a number of Be-Ins and indeed other early celebrations were all from black and white negative sources, scanned and colourized to the best of my recollection. As with the Dollarton Mudflats celebration of summer, 1973 I have not published anything until fairly recently. I hope someday to do a book or two on all the events and gatherings I have documented over the years. Thanks, Gord for your kind comments!
Did you by chance get a picture of the wizard looking man with crows wings on his head walking a great dane on a chain?
I’m sure somebody has a photo of something that unique…
The chap identified as The Sax Man is Ross Barrett. Also a flautist and keyboard player, Ross was in psychedelic band Mock Duck until about 1971.
At the time of the 1973 Be-In, Ross was in Sunshyne, a musical troupe that included future uber-producer Bruce Fairbairn (RIP) and drummer Jim Vallance who later became a producer and hit songwriter, most notably as Bryan Adams’ frequent collaborator.
Bruce, Jim and some other members of the last version of Sunshyne subsequently formed Prism.
Ross is the stuff that keeps old Vancouver alive. He still plays at protests, events, happenings. He should be knighted!
I was there with a movie camera I had bought in Japan in 1970 and took about 8 minutes of beautiful colour clips of the be-in, and some other Vancouver events of the early 70s. no sound. Lately I have been projecting the film on to a screen and shooting it with an iphone and there is no loss of resolution in the new video clip. Anyone interested?
Interested? Of course.
Hello Peter, I attended the 30th anniversary of the stanley park be in and would love to see your photos/video!
Yes! I would love to see that footage. I was at a few of those early be-ins. I came across a man in a cassock feeding little birds in his hands, and he gave me some birdseed and the birds landed on my arms and hands to eat. I’ve fed birds ever since.
I too am interested, thank you.
By any chance, did you film the Village Faire held in Cates Park, North Vancouver, circa 1971? I know there was one because I saw a short documentary of it shown on television in the 70s and I’ve tried to find it to no avail.
I remember the Cates Park fair. I was a high school student and my older brother was selling homemade candles and leather belts there. It was the first time I had too much beer, and discovered the joys of drunken puking. 😆
Oh the good old days…
Cheers ☮
A genuine blast from the past for which I thank you!
Cool, so this is what happened at a Be-In.
When I was a kid, I would hear exciting stories about the Be-In from my best friend’s older siblings.
I was too young to attend, so in keeping with the spirit of the event, I cut up my green denim floral jeans into long vertical strips … those were the days I would hear of, but that I actually missed!
I have stories.
My brother “Sorry” had many more. https://flic.kr/p/5HPYHn
THANK YOU for the wonderful memories! I lived in Chilliwack then (and still do). Went to every Be-in! Always had such a blast.
I was at the Be In when Constable Abe Senako was walking through the crowd and everyone was throwing joints at him. I love the party!!
Awe the memories. The smell of incense pot and moist Spring soil
‘Brain Damage’ , my Brother Peter was a roadie ( April Wine as well) for them. Hard to forget that band name!
He helped set up for the 25th anniversary.
Those were some good times. Hanging with buddies and grooving and year after year of fun and wholesome living. Oh and I saw that narc snidanco slithering about. He did know how to fill a courtroom though. Easter Be-in was a great Get Together.
I went to the 1992 Be-In and made daisy chain crowns. I think I was 16 or so.
I went to several Be-Ins, at least the first 3 or 4. I remember one band, The Dyna-Tones with a large brown paper shopping bag full of joints that they threw into the crowd. I met Davy Rippner there, an older hippy who owned the “Lord of the Rings” leather shop just across the bridge in North Van. He would get up on stage and just groove to the music. He and my pals became good friends, even though he was twice our age ad he gave us a safe place to hang out and smoke a little herb in the back of his shop.
“If you remember the 60’s you really weren’t there”
Dave Clark?!
How’s the “Five” ….
(Sorry, someone had to say it)
Cheers
☮