John’s got us in a habit of ‘morning walks’ lately and it’s no secret that one of our favourite places to trek around in the city is Stanley Park. We’re in there at least once a week and have been following its progress since the storms last December when thousands of trees were toppled.

I’ve blogged about the storm and the lack of progress in the restorations although it seems that recently they’ve cleaned up about 98% of trails, making them clear and open for foot traffic again. I don’t think we had to climb up over any fallen logs this morning (or fall off them… ahem) but the Sea Wall is still closed along the North side.

Unfortunately repairs on the Wall are so slow moving that the lack of action is causing parts to crumble, bubble up and deteriorate even more. But where it hurts the most, is over at Prospect Point. This is one of the most popular tourist stops in the Park, probably the City, and it seems as though the Parks Board is catering to that, naturally.

To create space for the parking lot, loggers have clear-cut an area the size of a football field, a move that alarmed one visitor, but will be to the benefit of the park in the long-term [CBC]

After reading the CBC story above I was pretty outraged, but it was only a few hours later that this news story appeared to do some damage control.

They’re not paving Prospect Point and putting up a parking lot.

That’s Vancouver Park Board chair Ian Robertson’s response to a CBC report the scenic, albeit windstorm-ravaged, tourist mecca at the northern tip of Stanley Park was being razed to make way for more parking [The Province]

In the Province article they say the CBC’s story “sensationalized” the scene and that it is not by any means a “clear cut”. When John mentioned going for a walk this morning I suggested we check this out for ourselves.

Unfortunately since it was raining when we left the house I didn’t bring a camera but we did spot the area in question and I have to say, my heart sank. Not as much as when we first surveyed the destruction of the storms but it was pretty close since I know for a fact this was man-made.

The photo above is pre-storm from Google Maps but you can see by the area gridded out in the red, just how large of a cut has been made… for a parking lot. But hey, apparently there’s hope.

…the existing parking lot at Prospect Point will be torn up and replanted with trees once the re-routed roadway and new angled parking are completed… …Even part of the area now being cleared for the roadwork… …will get a replanting. [The Province]

I really don’t know, it seems like for some the storm was a blessing - it gave them the go ahead to mass produce more concrete and space for cars driven by tourist dollars. Sure replanting is great and needed but you know what, I’ll believe all of this ‘for the better of the park’ talk when I see it.