STANLEY PARK NOTEBOOK

/

By Nate Lewis 
(click images to enlarge)

There’s a lot happening in Stanley Park these days, so this month we’re bringing you a veritable buffet of all-you-can-consume info. 

That includes the latest updates on water tunnel construction, tree removals, the train, a mysterious banned firearm, a quarter century of herons in the park, and the Ecology Society’s spring camp offerings. 

Without further ado, let’s set the table. 

Preparations at the Chilco Shaft site as of late March. (Jill Taylor photo)

WATER TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION

Preparations for construction of the water tunnel underneath Stanley Park are progressing, Metro Vancouver said in its latest update to residents. That includes work at the Chilco Shaft site on Chilco Street between Robson and Alberni. 

The traffic pattern in the area is being changed during construction, with the cul-de-sac at Chilco and Robson being opened temporarily to allow vehicle traffic to reach the apartment building on the corner. Through traffic won’t be allowed between Robson and Eihu Lane. 

Permanent construction site fencing will be installed this month. The bike and pedestrian path between Chilco and the Nature House will temporarily be on a separated route through the centre of the construction site, until a walking and rolling path around the site is completed later in April. 

Access to the community garden will remain open for the duration of construction. 

An area near a trail where trees were topped and cut down during Phase 1 work. (Nate Lewis Photo)

TREE REMOVALS

The park board and its contractors are wrapping up their most recent logging work in Stanley Park. They are cutting down trees impacted by the Hemlock looper moth in Stanley Park, as part of advanced Phase 3 work intended to decrease risks of fire and tree failure. 

A park board spokesperson said they don’t yet have a final count of how many trees have been removed in the most recent phase of work. The spokesperson said the park board will be starting tree planting and restoration work in April. 

Last month, TWEJ reported that 8,530 trees were fully or partially cut down during the first two phases of work. You can read more about the pending lawsuit against the park board and the contractor by the Stanley Park Preservation Society, as well as more detailed information about the removals, here.

THE STANLEY PARK TRAIN

What’s that sound? It’s not the whistle of the Stanley Park Train, it’s the death rattle of the miniature train’s locomotives. 

the stanley park train. (Vancouver park Board Photo)

After a train operator became sick from the locomotive’s exhaust fumes this past December, the Christmas train event was cancelled. In mid-March, the park board announced the train won’t be back in service this spring, or in the foreseeable future. 

The park board says they haven’t been able to solve the emissions issues with the 50-plus-year-old engines. “It’s become clear that refurbishing the aged engines to meet the regulatory requirements and return them to service does not have a clear solution,” said the city’s top engineer Lon LaClaire. 

The train has become a bit of a boondoggle for the park board and city over the past few years, with mechanical and maintenance issues – and resulting closures – plaguing the attraction since the pandemic.    

“This latest closure puts in question the operational and financial viability of operating the train with the existing combustion engines,” park board staff said  

Staff said they will be exploring “potential paths forward” for the train, which will be presented to park board commissioners this June. 

Police are seeking information about this gun found in Stanley park. (Photo courtesy VPD/X)

GUN FOUND NEAR LOST LAGOON

A semi-automatic rifle, along with three magazines and a significant amount of ammunition, were found in a bush near Lost Lagoon two weeks ago by an unnamed West End resident. 

North Shore News identified the model of gun as one that was made illegal in Canada in December 2024, however owners of these newly banned guns have amnesty until November 2025. 

Police are investigating how the gun got there and who owns it, and are asking anyone with information to call them. 

the Herons of Stanley Park.

25 YEARS OF NESTING COURTSIDE

For the 25th consecutive year, Pacific Great Blue Herons returned to re-establish their summer colony above the English Bay tennis courts on Park Lane. 

The colony is unique in several respects: it’s one of the largest urban PGB heron colonies in North America, and a rare case where the usually noise-avoidant birds are habituated to many cars, visitors, and the pocking sounds of rallies below them. Twenty-five years is also an unusually long time for herons to nest in one area and speaks to the unique suitability of this habitat, according to the park board.  

The Stanley Park Ecology Society works with nearby residents to monitor the health of the colony, documenting the number of nests and chicks each year. You can read much more about the process and the unique vantage point of some West End volunteers in TWEJ’s profile from 2023.

If you hear a screeching ruckus when you’re in the area, look up, and you may catch a glimpse of the frequent battles between the herons and the bald eagles that harass them each year.

birds of a feather is just one of spes’ events this spring. (Don Enrighjt Photo)

SPES SPRING CAMPS

The Stanley Park Ecology Society is hosting several events this month for all you outdoor-loving folks who appreciate a helpful guide to the park’s natural beauty. Their April schedule is as follows: 

For times, locations, and links to register for all these events, click on the individual event title or check out SPES’ event page here. 


SIGNING OFF FOR THE SUMMER

That’s all we’ve got for this month!

On a personal note, this will be my last edition of Stanley Park Notebook as TWEJ’s faithful scribe Jacqui Birchall will be returning this summer to bring you all the details of her frequent adventures in the park. 

I’ll still be around doing the copy editing for everything you read here at TWEJ and I’ll be chipping in with the occasional article as well. In the meantime, always feel free to reach out with your questions, comments, or story leads — you can find me at nate@vancitylookout.com.