Stanley Park Preservation Society questions why 400-year-old tree cut down by city

A 400-year-old tree in Stanley Park has been cut down after Vancouver deemed it dead and a public safety concern.

A group opposed to ongoing tree removal in Vancouver’s Stanley Park is questioning the city’s decision to cut down a 400-year-old Douglas fir.

The City of Vancouver deemed the tree dead and a safety concern for the public, but the Stanley Park Preservation Society hired two independent risk assessors who have come to a different conclusion.

“This is the first that I’ve seen it, in real life and it’s just devastating,” Jillian MacGuire, a member of the society told CTV News at the park Thursday.

The 30-metre-tall conifer is now wood chips on the ground.

Norm Oberson is one of the tree risk assessors brought on by the society.

He says preliminary assessment of the tree doesn’t suggest it was necessary to cut the tree down.

“If you would go and look at the flat top, you would see that the flat top is sound. Theres no decay in the heartwood,” Oberson said.

“I haven’t found any indicators of danger in this tree so far. We tested the roots. They are sounding solid. Theres no signs or indicators of decay in the roots or the butt,”Oberson continued.

The city says otherwise.

In a statement to CTV News, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation said the tree was removed after an Aug. 14 rainstorm.

“The tree was dead and most of the bark from the tree had sloughed up to a height of 50 feet,” the statement said.

“Larger sections of plate-like bark in the upper canopy remained and hung precariously over the trail, posing a significant risk,” the statement continued.

Oberson says according to his assessment, that was not the case.

“So far it was the wrong decision. But we haven’t completed the testing yet,” he said.

The society said it will continue to fight against the removal of trees in the park, and to demand answers from the city.