Residents challenge Stanley Park tree removals in court

A tree is cut down in Vancouver's Stanley Park.

A group of Vancouver residents is taking the city and park board to court over the large-scale removal of trees in Stanley Park — arguing the decisions behind the work were unfair and went too far.

The judicial review petition, filed by members of the Stanley Park Preservation Society along with Michael Robert Caditz, Anita Hansen, Katherine Caditz and Jillian Maguire, will be heard at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver starting Wednesday morning. A press conference is scheduled shortly before 9:30 a.m. outside the courthouse.

Allegations of unfair process

The petitioners claim the city’s approach to tree removal — which they say will lead to more than 160,000 trees being cut down — amounts to unreasonable decision-making and procedural unfairness.

A July 2025 presentation to the park board said 11,016 trees have been cut down so far.

They argue the public wasn’t properly consulted and that the extent of clearing has caused unnecessary damage to the park’s natural ecosystem.

Their filings call for more transparency around the project and for the court to review whether proper environmental assessments and public processes were followed.

City and park board response

The City of Vancouver and park board have said the tree removals are guided by ecological data and provincial recommendations following a severe western hemlock looper moth infestation that killed large sections of the park’s forest.

Officials maintain that cutting down the dead and dying trees is essential to reduce wildfire risk, ensure visitor safety, and allow healthy regrowth.

They’ve described the work as part of a long-term restoration strategy aimed at rebuilding a more resilient forest for future generations.

What happens next

The hearing is expected to last several days. Whatever the outcome, the decision could influence how Vancouver balances ecological restoration with conservation efforts in one of its most iconic public spaces.

With files from the CTV News Vancouver’s Andrew Weichel