Background

Stanley Park, Vancouver's oldest, largest, and most popular park, is the crowning jewel of our city, lauded as a national treasure and considered one of the great urban parks of the world. Almost everyone has a Stanley Park story. Whether you came as a child every summer to picnic with your family, learned to swim at Second Beach, proposed to your true love in the Rose Garden or spent your weekends playing cricket at Brockton Oval - the park holds indelible memories for all those who were lucky enough to have it as part of their lives. Some love the park simply because they regularly run the Seawall; others seek the green solitude of its inner trails. Whatever the reason for such abiding loyalty, Stanley Park holds a permanent place in everyone's heart.

In the early morning hours of December 15, 2006 a major windstorm struck this revered park with a vengeance. After two short hours of gale-force winds, some reaching 119 km/hr, the storm subsided leaving a level of devastation that had not been seen since Hurricane Frieda in 1962, and for the first time in over 40 years the entire park was closed to the public.

The Wild Heart of the City Left Bruised and Broken

The gusting winds blew down many large, significant trees throughout the park. More than 45 hectares (110 acres) of the 243 hectares (600 acres) of forested areas of park had virtually been levelled. Thousands of trees were uprooted, snapped in half or knocked down by other trees leaving broad swaths of debris, splintered trunks and upturned rootballs, some dozens of feet high. The storm destabilized the slopes on the west side of the park. Large waves and falling trees resulted in structural damage to large sections of the Seawall. Downed trees blocked most of the park's trails making them impassable. Recent assessments suggest that more than 10,000 trees were lost in the storm and the restoration will cost upwards of $9 million dollars.

Staff Begin the Task of Recovery

The extent of the damage to the park was at first not fully realized by staff, who focused their efforts on the day after the storm on reinstating access to the Causeway which bisects the park and connects the city to the North Shore. It took 40 staff working daily from dawn to dusk for two weeks to clear the hundreds of fallen trees and massive amounts of debris from roadways in the park.

It soon became apparent that the damage the park sustained was so severe that leaving it "as is" was not an option. Threats such as weakened cliffs and compromised trees pose unacceptable safety risks for visitors and the massive amounts of debris left in the wake of the storm increases the risk of fire hazards in this busy urban park.

Planning the Park's Restoration

On January 15, 2007 the Park Board approved a staff report for the preparation of a restoration plan for Stanley Park. The completed Restoration Plan was approved by the Board on April 16, 2007.

A Generous Outpouring of Support from Across the Country

Stanley Park is the soul of our nation, dearly loved by our residents and a major attraction for millions of visitors. In 1988 the Federal Government made that idea "official" when it declared Stanley Park a National Historic Site, a designation which carries with it the recognition of a nationally-significant cultural resource.

It is not surprising then that the outpouring of donations has been overwhelming since the December 15th windstorm. More than 6,000 donors have pledged $3.5 million to the park's restoration, including individuals and corporations across the country and even abroad. An additional $6 million was granted to the Park Board by three levels of government. We would like to extend our sincerest appreciation to all donors who generously contributed to the Stanley Park Restoration.

The Long Path to Recovery

As the steward of this national treasure, the Park Board is committed to the restoration of the park - for now and future generations. There are no quick fixes for the forest by man or nature. It will take many decades before the park's areas most heavily hit by the storm can regenerate into a healthy and mature forest once again. The objective of the plan will be to establish safe and environmentally sound conditions under which the damaged forest areas can regenerate into a healthy and mature natural coastal forest that is appropriate for a busy urban park and will serve the residents and visitors of Vancouver for many generations to come.

Survey Results

As part of the Restoration Project the Vancouver Park Board has initiated a region-wide public consultation process and asked the public to comment on six key issues regarding the restoration process. Synovate, a public polling company, has conducted a telephone survey and collected 500 samples between March 13 and 19, 2007.

Stanley Park Environmental Art Project

A collaboration between artists, ecologists, park stewards, environmental educators, and the very ecology of the park itself, this project will take place over a two-year period commencing with the creation of ephemeral works in the summer of 2008 and continuing with the creation of semi-permanent works in 2009.

Stanley Park Environment Art Project
Dec 2007 - Artist Teams Selected

Photo Gallery

Click on a thumbnail to view full-size image

1. Split Cedar	2. Uprooted tree	3. Broken trees	4. Fallen trees
5. From the air	6. From the air	7. Uprooted tree	8. Parks van hit
9. Clearing trail	10. Road blocked	11. Road blocked	12. Road blocked
13. Road blocked	14. Seawall damage	15. Logs	16. Staff working
17. Clearing road	18. Prospect Point	19. Prospect Point	20. Clearing debris

 

 

 

• Top