Park Board to Consider Draft Restoration Plan for Stanley Park

April 10, 2007 (No. 23) - Park Board staff have completed a draft plan for the restoration of Stanley Park which lays out 14 major activities vital to the park's recovery. The bulk of the restoration work will be completed within one year at a cost estimated at about $9 million. The draft plan will be presented to the Board for consideration at a Special Meeting on April 16th at 7 pm at the Roundhouse Community Centre.

It was almost four months ago that a devastating wind storm carrying gale force winds swept through Stanley Park, levelling 45 hectares of forest, downing over 10,000 trees and seriously destabilizing the escarpment above the Seawall at Prospect Point.

The goals of the draft restoration plan reflect a balance between the science behind the recovery strategies and the broad social values that form the park's identity. These goals include fostering a resilient coastal forest with a diversity of tree species and habitats that uses methods and equipment that protects the environment, park visitors and workers; repairing the park's infrastructure so that park activities can resume as quickly as possible and creating legacies that will support the forest and this natural and cultural resource in the long term.

Park Board Chair, Ian Robertson said: "We value the park because it allows us to connect with nature, right at our back door. We also feel a responsibility to leave a lasting legacy for the next generation. Stanley Park is the collective link to our past and to our future. Through the implementation of this plan, 100 years from now residents and visitors will enjoy a park with a healthy, maturing west coast forest that will continue to provide the green solitude that makes our city one of the most livable in the world."

Forestry, geotechnical engineering and environmental experts were enlisted to help assess the damage in the park and develop a plan of action to help in the park's recovery. Extensive public consultation was carried out regarding key questions related to the plan and a Stakeholders and Partners Committee provided counsel on a range of park issues. More than 5,000 individuals and members of the corporate community and all three levels of government have contributed over $9 million towards the park's restoration.

The public is invited to attend the Special Board Meeting on April 16. The draft restoration plan is available for viewing on the Park Board web site.

- 30 -

For more information, contact: Carol DeFina, Communications Coordinator, at 604-257-8440.
www.vancouverparks.ca

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation maintains 200 parks and 40 major facilities throughout the City of Vancouver. The Park Board's mission is to provide, preserve and advocate for parks and recreation services to benefit people, communities and the environment.

• Top