Minoru Park 4.4

Minoru Park is a park located on the site of a former horse-racing track and airstrip in Richmond, British Columbia. The Minoru Park's running track is often used for school competitions, such as track and field. The area is home to the Minoru Arenas, Minoru Track, Minoru Aquatic Centre and Richmond Cultural Centre (which in turn houses the Richmond Public Library's main branch, City of Richmond Archives, Richmond Art Gallery and Richmond Museum). All these facilities account for the bulk of community services offered by the city.Minoru was one of the first major aviation hubs in Western Canada.HistoryNamed after King Edward VII's Epsom Derby-winning Irish thoroughbred racehorse, Minoru, the area started out as a horse-racing track on August 21, 1909, to an audience of 7,000. (Minoru never raced in Richmond, however.)Almost one year later, on March 25, 1910, the first-ever Canadian airplane flight west of Winnipeg took off from Minoru Racetrack, with 3,500 witnesses on hand. The plane was manned by Charles K. Hamilton; he flew it from Minoru to New Westminster and back. This event is often credited for the Vancouver International Airport being located in Richmond rather than another municipality in Metro Vancouver.