The restoration of Vancouver's Stanley Park is well underway one year after a massive storm pounded the park and downed thousands of trees.

A tree planting ceremony held Saturday marked the anniversary of the devastating storm that crippled one of Canada's greenest treasures.

On Dec. 15, 2006, Stanley Park was hammered by 120 kilometres-per-hour winds and pounding sea waves, downing nearly 10,000 trees and creating landslides over the park's famed seawall.

Prospect Point, near the Lions Gate Bridge, was one of the most damaged areas. It had to be cleared of the debris from once-massive trees and was closed to the public for almost a year.

Almost 41 hectares of forested area was leveled. The Stanley Park seawall walkway around the perimeter of the park was reopened only a few weeks ago.

Trucks have removed about 80 per cent of the fallen trees. The remaining debris will be left on the forest floor to rot, and will be used as a nursery for the new trees.

Arborist Bill Stephens said the mission of restoring the park was overwhelming at first.

"Just how are we going to -- how we even clear the roads. How are we going to make this park safe and get people back using it," Stephens recalled thinking.

Vancouver Park Board general manager Susan Mundick said the damage took hours to create but will take decades to repair.

Three thousand trees have been replanted after nearly 10,000 trees were blown down during the storm.

Stephens said 15,000 more will be planted by next April.

He said a 13 kilometre wall of trees providing a wind buffer for the saplings has been pruned to ensure future winds don't knock them down.

The destruction of Vancouver's crown jewel resulted in an outpouring of support. More than $9.5 million was donated to the restoration, including $2 million from each of the federal and provincial governments.

British Columbia billionaire Jimmy Pattison personally donated $1 million. He said Stanley Park held a very important place in his memory -- it is where he proposed to his wife.

"This is a huge asset we have here in Stanley Park and it's important to look after," Pattison said. "Stanley Park has been so good to so many people, including my family and a lot of my friends over the years. It's been an important part of our part of the world."

Federal Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn said Canada has an obligation to rebuild and protect the majestic park.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Dave Pinton