'I spent a lot of time sitting in traffic,' Downie recalls. When you're 'rolling through the park at the speed of a horse' a few times a week the charm wears thin. Being stuck behind a horse-drawn carriage as a visitor occasionally is charming. 'The park rangers closed Stanley Park due to fire risk, so again I had to convince the park rangers I had to be let in,' he says. One night, coming home at night, Downie had to convince a construction crew that he needed access to the park even though it was closed because he lived there. He also volunteered with the Stanley Park Ecological Society and helped pull invasive species out of Beaver Lake.īut the more unusual moments, even when boring, are what stick out to him. He also had a couple of barbecues with friends, so they'd get to see the unique corner (and lifestyle) of the park.įor a couple of days, he tried not to leave the park for anything, eating at some of the restaurants and spending his day just in the area. There was the alone time with the park, like at midnight at the oval, or seeing the sunrise alone on the seawall at 6 a.m. His other adventures in the park all related to being there as a resident and not a visitor. 'I think it was one of the most interesting months I could have lived there,' he says. Overall, July 2021 was an unusual month for Downie. The task is easy, but the schedule isn't completely simple, since it's unwavering. 'The big hang-up for me, being a travel vlogger, was the responsibility of having to lock the bathrooms every single night at 5 p.m.,' he says. While it sounds easy, locking the washrooms became the biggest issue. every night I had to lock the washrooms at the Brockton Point Oval,' Downie says. 'The second duty I would have is at 5 p.m. The city takes care of the front yard, but she takes care of the back. One is to water Normande's intricate garden. There are two responsibilities when house-sitting for the Waines. 'I said what's required and am I allowed to film it,' Downie says. This year, they asked Downie if he wanted to. Each summer they take a trip and get someone to house sit for them. It turns out the Waines have lived there for nearly three decades.

'I never follow a man into the woods, but here I go, as curious as ever.' 'I'd never had heard of it so he goes 'No, it's right over there,'' Downie says.

So Downie went to do a video about David, and they got to talking about the residence. Downie is a fan of the 9 o'clock gun, and one of Waine's duties is to load it. Downie says he wasn't aware of someone living there until David reached out to him. Most people are unaware that 2800 Stanley Park Drive is a residence the park has lots of structures, so a house doesn't seem totally out of place. During this year's trip they turned to Vancouver adventure YouTuber Mike Downie to house sit for them. It's not famous for being a neighbourhood.īut for one lucky couple, David and Normande Waine, it is their neighbourhood, except when they go on a trip. Stanley Park is very famous for being a park.

Downie park house