The Shipyards
49°19′ N 123°05′ WWaterfrontFree
The Shipyards on the North Vancouver waterfront suits families and couples who want an evening outdoors near the SeaBus, because the City of North Vancouver's Skate Plaza there is free with your own skates. The rink opens only from late November, so an October visit gets the waterfront and the restaurants around it.
Photo Braveheart · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Sight · No. 027 · checked 16 Oct 2026
Bring your own skates on a busy weekend, as rentals are limited.
Alfred Wallace opened the Wallace Shipyard here in 1906, and the company changed its name several times before it ended as Versatile Pacific Shipyards. The yard built the RCMP schooner St. Roch in 1928. During the Second World War it turned out 109 of the 312 Victory Ships made in Canada and became BC's largest employer of shipyard workers. The yard closed in the early 1990s, and the Vancouver Drydock Company still works the eastern end of the site.
The City and Quay Management Corp turned the rest of the yard into public space, and the last phase of building finished in July 2019. The Skate Plaza covers 12,000 square feet, and the City counts it the largest outdoor rink in the region. A roof covers the ice, and the plaza holds up to 300 skaters. Curved lines under the ice follow the hulls of the ships once cut on this spot. Heat taken from the ice system warms the buildings around it through the Lonsdale energy system, and in summer the 8,000 square feet beside the rink become a splash park.
In winter the rink runs daily public skating with free helmets and skate aids. Bring your own skates and you pay nothing. Rentals cost $8 for adults and $5.50 for kids in limited numbers. The ice closes for half an hour at 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 pm for cleaning, and the City warns that the weather changes the ice from day to day. The SeaBus terminal at Lonsdale Quay is less than five minutes away on foot.
Worth knowing
- Bring your own skates on a busy weekend, because the City keeps only a limited number of rentals.
- Follow the City of North Vancouver on social media or sign up for CityView to catch the rink's opening day in late November.
Quick answers about The Shipyards
Is skating at the Shipyards free?
Yes. Skating at the Shipyards Skate Plaza in North Vancouver is free with your own skates, and helmets and skate aids cost nothing. Rentals cost $8 for adults and $5.50 for kids in the 2026/27 season.
When does the Shipyards Skate Plaza open for 2026/27?
The City of North Vancouver says the Shipyards Skate Plaza reopens in late November 2026. It will announce the exact day on social media and in its CityView newsletter.
How do you get to the Shipyards from downtown Vancouver?
Take the SeaBus from Waterfront Station to Lonsdale Quay, a 12-minute crossing. The Shipyards is less than a five-minute walk from the Lonsdale Quay exchange.
How much does The Shipyards cost?
The Shipyards is free to visit.
What are the opening hours of The Shipyards?
The Shipyards is open the Shipyards is an open public waterfront with no gate. In the skating season the Skate Plaza runs daily public sessions and closes for about 30 minutes at 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 pm while the ice is cleaned. Skate rentals stop at 7:30 pm, and the City may close the rink without notice for weather or repairs.
When is the best time to visit The Shipyards?
The Shipyards: Come from late November, once the Skate Plaza opens, on an evening with downtown Vancouver lit up across the water. A roof covers the ice, so a wet night still works, and you can plan your skate around the half-hour ice cleans.
Within 12 km
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In the journal and guides
Read more about The Shipyards
Feature · 7 min read
What was the Burrard Dry Dock at the foot of Lonsdale, and what stands on the Shipyards now?
For most of the 20th century the foot of Lonsdale built ships. The City of North Vancouver kept the yard's frames, piers and one crane and built a public waterfront around them.
Feature · 7 min read
Where should you eat and drink in Lower Lonsdale between the Quay and the Shipyards?
Lower Lonsdale packs most of its eating into the blocks between the SeaBus and 3rd Street, and every stop on this walk sits within about 800 metres of the boat.
Practical guide · 13 min read
What can you do on a rainy day in North Vancouver and Vancouver?
Ride the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay and a wet morning at the Polygon Gallery and MONOVA costs an adult $15 and a donation, with the Food Hall open until 9 pm.
Practical guide · 11 min read
Where should you take kids in North Vancouver and Vancouver?
A family of four paid $213.80 plus GST at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in 2026, so start with Lynn Canyon's free bridge if your kids walk on their own.