Lulu Series: From Industry to Imagination: The Shipyards Transformation

This talk will explore the history of North Vancouver’s waterfront with a focus on curation of the public spaces that define The Shipyards, including waterfront plazas, Polygon Gallery, Museum of North Vancouver, gathering areas and interactive amenities that bring people together year-round. Once a WWII shipbuilding powerhouse that later faced insolvency and near loss, this site has been re-imagined as a cultural precinct and vibrant destination at the heart of Vancouver’s North Shore.

Annually, The Shipyards attracts more than 5 million visitors with 160 events and festivals and has been recognized as one of Metro Vancouver’s premier public spaces. As a regional anchor destination, this evolving waterfront will soon include a new harbour swim deck, adding ocean swimming to the suite of waterfront attractions along Lower Lonsdale.

Free to attend. RSVP requested.

About the Presenters:

Magda Kwaterska is the Manager of The Shipyards & Waterfront for the City of North Vancouver, leading the stewardship, operations and activation of one of Metro Vancouver’s premier public destinations. She oversees all aspects of waterfront management, including public programming, events, community engagement, maintenance, placemaking and outdoor recreation — including the skating rink and splash pads — in collaboration with business, tourism and civic partners.

Dave Hutch is a landscape architect with 30+ years of public sector experience leading teams who work at the intersection of city building, public space, leisure, culture, recreation, ecology and health. As the City of North Vancouver’s Director of Parks and Public Spaces, he leads teams who are responsible for public realm, park, recreation and urban ecosystems planning, programming, design, construction and operation. He has previously held positions at the Vancouver Park Board, City of Vancouver and National Capital Commission.

About the Lulu Series:

The Lulu Series is an annual spring series of talks about Art in the City and its importance to establishing connections between citizens and their communities. Richmond Public Art is partnering with Richmond Art Gallery and the Wilson School of Design at KPU to present three engaging talks in Spring 2026.

Since 2003, City of Richmond has presented regional, national and international speakers including acclaimed artists, architects, urban planners and other cultural leaders. Previous lecture topics have included planning and placemaking, public and environmental art, art as community development, art as urban revitalization, architecture, artists’ live/work spaces and sculpture parks.

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