The Ocean Park/Crescent Beach area of South Surrey

In this area. Surrey changes from the hustle and bustle of a busy city to an area of tranquility and peacefulness. Gone from sight and hearing are the thousands of cars, skytrain and buses. Gone also seems to be the stress and the apparent necessity to hurry.

Many of the original buildings in the area of Crescent Beach and Ocean Park still exist along with seemingly an aura of the past where conversations can readily begin with those unknown, smiles are an automatic response to those that hardly seem like strangers and friends are made from chance meetings. It seems to be a place where there is time to chat with a fellow shopper, a familiar face from the bus or another dog walker.

One of the old buildings still standing is what is now known as the Crescent Park Elementary School Annex which was the first school in the area built in the early 1900's. The Annex, tucked away on a cozy little lot situated amongst residential homes, is like a picture out of an old photo album. It still functions as a classroom for a small group of children from grades one to three. Many of these children's parents attended class in the same school, playing similar games in the largely unchanged playground. When talking to one lady, she said her son was going to the Annex, as had his father and grandfather. How many of us have that kind of continuity of history in our lives in a time when people tend to move so often?

Another older building is Crescent Park School which opened in 1948 to accommodate the increased student enrolment of the growing area. The original Ocean Park Hall was built in 1921 and what is now called the Ocean Park Hall was originally the post office.

In the early days Ocean Park was difficult to reach, as was Crescent Beach, being mainly accessible by the Great Northern Railroad. One train stopped each day and a second, if flagged, allowed vacationers to enjoy the quaint little seaside town of Crescent Beach. Those living in Ocean Park were required to make the hike from the station. But in spite of the difficulty of access, the community continued to thrive.

At Crescent Beach, a hotel once stood at the site of Beecher Place (where the public washrooms now are). When the hotel burned down in 1949, the lot remained empty until Beecher Place was built in 1982. In the early days of Crescent Beach, the hotel was the central hub of activity. The beach may not look very different from long ago with children laughing and playing in the water but the bathing suits are skimpier, the hairstyles have changed and conversation is probably very different. But the people are the same - they all come to Crescent Beach to have a good time - as they have always done.

Camp Alexandra was established in 1918 by the Alexandra Orphanage of Vancouver as a summer retreat for disadvantaged youth; they arrived on the Great Northern Railroad for their week at camp. Camp Alexandra is still there; the little cabins still exist. Inside the main entrance you will see old pictures of some of the former guests and employees of Camp Alexandra. Camp Alexandra continues to be a busy place.

In the early 1900's Crescent Beach was primarily a summer resort with few permanent residents. It is now a year-round residential community and many of the full-time residents were those whose families had originally had summer homes in those early days.