The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has closed a stretch of the seawall around Stanley Park from Nov. 4 to Dec. 6 so hazardous trees can be removed and slope safety work can be undertaken.
The closure is related to ongoing work to remove trees from the park due to damage from hemlock looper moths.
The stretch of the seawall from Prospect Point to Third Beach — around 1.5 kilometres of the 10-kilometre path around Stanley Park — will be closed “due to the risks of removing these logs on high slopes, and to ensure the safety of crews and park visitors,” said a release from the park board.
The parking lot at Prospect Point cafe will also be closed, while Stanley Park Drive from the causeway off-ramp to Prospect Point picnic lot will be subject to periodic 15-minute closures, the park board said.
The Vancouver Park Board has given the green light to the second phase of the Stanley Park hemlock looper moth response plan.
The city will be treating and cutting more moth-infected trees in the park.
It also said a helicopter will be active above the work area from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Nov. 14 and Dec. 7 to airlift felled wood from the cliffs above the seawall.
Detours will be in place for the duration of the work.
Beginning in October 2023, crews have been removing thousands of trees from Stanley Park that officials say are dead and are safety hazards due to wildfire or falling risk.
But some park users have accused the park board of overreach and have gone to court to try to stop the cutting.
The park board said the hemlock looper moth experiences population outbreaks roughly every 15 years, and the most recent outbreak resulted “in significant tree mortality in the park, causing an elevated risk to public safety.”
“Undertaking these necessary repairs in conjunction with this critical tree removal work will help minimize the impact to park visitors and reduce the chances of needing to close this section of the seawall at a later date,” said the park board about the planned work.