'Worker safety incident' shuts down Stanley Park Train until further notice

The Bright Nights train is seen in a virtual experience uploaded to YouTube. (Stanley Park Railway)

The Bright Nights holiday train in Stanley Park is closed until further notice after a "worker safety incident," the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation said in a statement Saturday.

The park board said it is suspending Stanley Park Train operations due to the incident involving a train operator, which occurred Friday night.

"The incident has been reported to the city's occupational health and safety team, who will be following all required protocols to investigate," the park board's statement reads.

"While this is underway, train operations need to be suspended to ensure the safety of our staff."

The statement makes no mention of WorkSafeBC, the provincial agency that investigates work-related injuries and safety incidents.

In an email to CTV News, the City of Vancouver clarified that the train operator was injured in the incident, and said that notifying the health and safety team is the first step in the city's process, but WorkSafeBC is also notified of incidents "when warranted."

The park board's statement indicates that it is working to notify and refund all affected customers who had reservations for the train "this weekend and into early next week."

"We are very sorry as we understand the inconvenience and disappointment this represents for everyone who were looking forward to enjoying this beloved holiday tradition with their friends and loved ones," the statement reads.

The Bright Nights holiday train is hugely popular. Tickets sold out less than 24 hours after they went on sale in early November, despite technical difficulties that left some people stranded in online queues for hours. 

The train closure announcement comes amid a broader closure of Stanley Park due to high winds Saturday.

The park board described the closure as "a precautionary measure."

"Recent wind events this fall have resulted in numerous tree failures and the winds today are expected to meet or exceed wind speeds that cause tree-related risks," the statement reads. "Many trees in Stanley Park are especially vulnerable to high winds due to the hemlock looper outbreak."

The Stanley Park Causeway was briefly closed Saturday morning after a tree fell across the roadway.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued wind warnings across the South Coast Saturday, with Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, the Gulf Islands, Greater Victoria, and both coasts of Vancouver Island affected.

The forecaster said wind gusts up to 100 km/h were expected through Saturday morning before easing later in the afternoon.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Kaija Jussinoja