Vancouver Park Board to vote on second phase of Stanley Park tree removal
The second phase of a planned massive tree removal in Stanley Park is on the agenda at the park board Monday night.
About 160,000 trees have been classified as dead or dying as a result of a hemlock looper moth outbreak and will be cut down. The number works out to about one-third of all trees in the beloved green space.
Crews cut down about 7,000 trees earlier this year, drawing criticism from some residents.
Twent five per cent of Stanely Park’s area was targeted in the first phase of the project and 11 per cent will be targeted in the next phase – with plans to begin in mid-October.
Michael Caditz is the founder of Save Stanley Park. He believes the science does not support the plans to remove the trees.
“The hemlock looper is endemic, it’s native, it’s part of the ecosystem,” he said. “That’s what’s concerning to people. This is only the beginning.”
According to Richard Hamelin, a Forrest and Conservation Science professor with the University of British Columbia, hemlock looper usually disappears after a few years.
“It’s a good question, ‘Why not let nature do its thing?’” said Hamelin. “Normally that is what you would do if there was not so many visitors to the park.”
The decaying trees create safety hazards, even the hemlock trees that may appear fine on the outside, can often be rotting inside, he says.
Brennan Bastyovanszky, the park board chair, says the trees are being removed as a safety precaution – saying the concern is that they could fall down on a car, building or person.
"Those risks are real at the moment,” he said
"If we were up in Whistler, if we were in the Interior and people weren't around and there wasn't a highway driving right through it, I would have had a different approach,” he said.
Since the removal started, there have been 25,000 new seedlings planted, according to the park board.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trump chooses anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting him in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research and the social safety net programs Medicare and Medicaid.
LIVE UPDATES Rogers Centre opens its doors to thousands of Taylor Swift fans for the first sold-out show
Taylor Swift is in Toronto to perform her first of six sold-out shows at the Rogers Centre tonight.
Police release bodycam video of officer-involved incident at Hindu temple protest in Brampton, Ont.
Police say an officer who forcefully removed a 'weapon' from a protester outside of a Hindu temple in Brampton was acting 'within the lawful execution of his duties' after bystander video of the incident circulated widely online.
New Pentagon report on UFOs includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens
The Pentagon's latest report on UFOs has revealed hundreds of new reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena but no indications suggesting an extraterrestrial origin.
Here's how a potential Canada Post strike may affect Canadians
A disruption in Canada Post services would hit some Canadians harder than others. As the deadline approaches for a potential strike at midnight Friday, CTVNews.ca asked readers how it would affect them and how they are preparing.
'Countless lives were at risk:' 8 charged, including teen wanted in deadly home invasion, after West Queen West gun battle
A teenage boy arrested along with more than 20 others following a gun battle in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood was wanted in connection with a deadly home invasion in Etobicoke back in April, Toronto police say.
Train derailment and spill in Longueuil leads to confinement and travel disruptions
A confinement measure with an 800-metre radius is currently in effect in part of Longueuil after a Canadian National Railway (CN) train derailed and spilt an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide on Thursday morning.
Jasper National Park to welcome campers back in 2025 at most campsites
Starting in January, people will be able to make online reservations for campsites for the 2025 season.
Everything is under US$20 at Amazon's newest store
Amazon is targeting retail rivals Shein, Temu and TikTok Shop with a new deeply discounted storefront that sells a wide array of products for US$20 or less.