Stanley Park’s seawall will be closed for tree removal

A portion of the seawall at Vancouver’s Stanley Park will be closed in November to allow for the continued removal of hemlock trees.

The seawall between Third Beach and Prospect Point is closed from November 4 to December 6.

The section of seawall will be closed “due to the risks of removing these logs from high slopes and to ensure the safety of crews and park visitors,” the City of Vancouver said Friday. The car park at Prospect Point cafe will also be closed, while a section of Stanley Park Drive, from the Causeway exit to Prospect Point picnic area, will be closed periodically for 15 minutes until the work is completed.

The Vancouver Park Board is moving forward with phase two of its project project that will eliminate an estimated 160,000 trees in the park. The felled trees have been weakened or killed by an infestation of the western hemlock moth and are part of the city’s plan to ensure public safety and reduce the risk of wildfires.

Despite much criticism from environmental groupsthe second phase of the project was given the green light to proceed in October.

The second phase of the project should be completed in early 2025, followed by tree replanting in the spring of next year, the city said. Much of the tree work will focus on typically busy areas of the park, including areas adjacent to the aquarium, Brockton Point, Chickadee Trail and along the northwest seawall.

A helicopter will be used periodically between November 14 and December 7 to safely remove and transport the felled timber from the cliffs above the sea wall. The helicopter’s operation will be in accordance with the city’s noise regulations and will operate during the day between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Also in November, park board crews will conduct their annual work to stabilize and maintain the slope near Siwash Rock. The concurrent project will have crews removing unstable material from the slopes and checking that the rock slabs are securely connected to the main wall.

“Making these necessary repairs in conjunction with this critical tree removal work will help minimize the impact to park visitors and reduce the likelihood that this section of seawall will need to be closed at a later date,” the park board said.

Temporary diversions will be in place during this period for people who want to bike, walk or roll on the seawall, the city said.