Five years after the Stanley Park storm: from crisis to opportunity

Dec 13 , 2011 (No. 59) -The Vancouver Park Board marked the five year anniversary of the Stanley Park storm at last night's board meeting. Out of the crisis of the devastating storm came opportunities to renew, restore and improve Stanley Park.

The powerful windstorm struck Stanley Park on December 15, 2006, downing 10,000 trees, leveling 41 hectares of forest, causing extensive damage to the seawall, and closing the park for the first time in 40 years.

Following a public outpouring of concern, and local, national and international media attention on the impacts of the storm, the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, and more than 6,000 individuals and organizations provided financial support of over $10 million for recovery efforts.

After a massive cleanup operation, the Park Board developed a Stanley Park restoration plan with a team of experts, partners, stakeholders and staff, and based on input from broad community consultation.

"Five years later, we are well on our way to achieving our restoration plan's vision of a stronger, balanced, more resilient urban forest in Vancouver's oldest and largest park," said Park Board Chair Constance Barnes.

The award winning Stanley Park restoration project resulted in valuable understanding about the urban forest, and created legacies to enhance the park experience for visitors:

• Stanley Park is guided by a long-term Forest Management Plan including renewed wildlife, silviculture and wildfire management practices. Storm cleanup and restoration efforts created view corridors and new forest openings. Additionally, 16,000 new native trees were planted in the blow-down areas, resulting in a park that is more representative of a natural coastal rainforest with increased diversity of natural habitats. An ecosystems-based park inventory was developed by the Stanley Park Ecology Society: State of the Park Report for the Ecological Integrity of Stanley Park.
• Infrastructure upgrades have resulted in a safer and more accessible Stanley Park including: a repaired seawall, and slope stabilization with much needed erosion control measures above the repaired pathway; upgraded trails featuring improved drainage and more durable surfaces; and improvements to Prospect Point with road upgrades, landscaping and an expanded viewing deck.
• Restoration legacies telling stories of Stanley Park's history, geology and ecology include: use of blow-down wood in buildings and public art; a series of 36 interpretive panels; an environmental art project; and a geographic information system to map archeological and cultural elements, natural and man-made features, environmental sensitive areas, species at risk and invasive species.

While much has been accomplished, more work remains to protect the future of Stanley Park and build on the progress of the restoration plan. In early 2012, the Park Board is planning to commemorate the legacy of the Stanley Park storm by holding an event for donors and the public to celebrate restoration efforts and showcase improvements. 

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Media enquiries: Jason Watson, Communications Coordinator, at (t) 604-257-8438 or (c) 604-362-5032

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation maintains over 220 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 to benefit all people, communities and the environment.