Stanley Park in bad shape, fundraising campaign launched

Loggers may have to be called in to clean up the devastation last Friday's huge windstorm left in Stanley Park, says the Vancouver Park Board.

Parts of the landmark park, where more than 1,000 trees are down, have been re-opened. But people are being asked to stay on the seawall and not go too far into the park's forest where the damage from the storm is greatest.

Fallen trees and branches are piled all over the park, says Park Board Commissioner Spencer Herbert.

"Up at Prospect Point, we've seen huge stands of trees come out,so much that you can't get through.The roads are completely blocked.It doesn't look like Park Drive anymore. It's a logging road."

Warning that the replanting effort will be expensive, Herbert has launched a fundraising campaign.

He's asking people to donate money this Christmas season to buy new trees for the park.

"Without the trees, what is it? I think everybody needs to pitch in to keep Stanley Park what it is.It's a huge tourist attraction.But more so than that, it's Vancouver's backyard."

Herbert says people can drop off their donations at community centres in Vancouver. They can also call the Park Board office.

Many face insurance questions

Damage caused by trees that have fallen on people's homes will likely be covered by insurance, says a North Shore broker.

Jeff Fawcett says if a tree falls through a roof, the insurance company will pick up the tab.

But he adds there's a lot of confusion when other people's trees fall onto neighbouring houses.

"People think the neighbour's tree falls on my house, it's the neighbour's problem. You know,come and get your tree off my house. It doesn't work like that. The wind blew the tree over, the tree has damaged your property, so you have an insurance claim."

But Fawcett warns that insurance does not cover tree removal if a tree fell into a yard with no damage to property.