B.C. Premier Gordon got a first-hand look and an understanding of the huge amount of work to be done in Stanley Park after a devastating wind storm last month.
The premier took a tour of the park Friday with Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan and Vancouver park board chairman Ian Robertson.
"It's an incredible event to see how powerful nature can be, no matter what we put it its path, it will do what it wants to do,'' the premier told a gaggle of media following the trio.
Campbell said funding would be available to help with the restoration of the park through a program called LocalMotion.
The program could provide up to $4 million over four years as long as the money is matched by the city.
The premier's first stop in the damage tour was Prospect Point, the highest lookout in the park and the area most damaged by wind.
Hundreds of trees are scattered over the point like a children's game of pick-up sticks.
Normally tourists to the park would get out of their vehicles and walk to a lookout point to see Burrard Inlet and the Strait of Georgia. Now the view is available from the road.
"There's visible damage and there's hidden damage as well,'' the premier said. "There's lots of work to be done here.''
As many as 3,000 trees were lost as winds reaching 100 kilometres an hour ripped through the park.
A second storm earlier this week toppled more trees, one of which badly injured a woman walking in the park.
NDP environment critic Shane Simpson earlier accused the B.C. government of doing nothing to help clean up the park.
But Campbell said his government was in touch with the mayor's office soon after the storm.
"We think this is an important symbol, not just for Vancouver, but for British Columbia and for Canada.''
The premier even sees a silver lining in the park's devastation.
"This partnership will give us a chance to take this natural disaster and perhaps improve the quality of access...for people in the park,'' he said.
It will be April before the park board has a damage estimate, both on the devastation and the cost to clean up the park.
Robertson said experts have been working on a plan that will be presented to the board Monday night.
"I think it's going to be closer to June, July, maybe even longer before the seawall is open,'' he said.
Stanley Park's seawall surrounds the entire park and is used by thousands of cyclists, joggers and walkers every year.
"We're doing the best we can, but safety is the No. 1 priority and we won't open it until it's safe.''
Robertson says there are at least three major slide areas over the seawall.
"This slope is so compromised, it's just a real challenge for us.''
