Vancouver  

Sundial: 920
State/Province:  British Columbia Country:  Canada
Dial Type:  Horizontal Dial Condition:  Good
  Latitude and Longitude: 49° 14.136' N  123° 10.581' W
Location:
  • Dial is in a small memorial garden at the south side of Knox United Church, Balaclava Street, Vancouver (between 39th and 41st Avenues).
 
Description:
  • This is a 25 cm horizontal dial engraved on a 1/4 inch yellow metal plate (probably bronze). It shows local solar time. The hour marks look precise and consistent, but upon closer look are oddly arranged. The dialist attempted to shift the dial hour lines to correct for longitude (3.17 deg west). The AM hour lines are fairly accurate except the earliest hour lines (IV, V) which inconsistently meet the gnomon foot on the wrong side. The PM hour lines seem to mirror the AM lines except that 3 degrees had been added to each, rendering inaccurate time throughout the afternoon. The gnomon is slightly bent, and nearby buildings and trees block the dial at some times of day. The dial is decorated using simple geometric and visually pleasing patterns. Shallow engraving is used for the hour lines (making them a bit difficult to read), labels, and decoration. The gnomon has a bird engraved on each side and sits on a wedge base. The dial sits on a short granite pedestal with a polished top surface, and was commissioned by his parents in memory of Robert Carlyle Howard (born 1953, died 1970).
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: Knox United Church
  • THE SPIRIT SOARS BENIGN IN OMNIPRESENCE, OMNISCIENT IN ETERNITY
  • Designer: commissioned by parents of Robert Carlyle Howard (1953-1970)
  • Builder:
  • Construction Date: Circa 1970
 

Last Revised: 2019-06-02 14:05