3000
Vancouver, my birthplace, is famous for many things but foremost among them is the 1000 acre (400 hectare) Stanley Park; one of the most beautiful urban parks in the world and a draw for some 8 million visitors to Vancouver every year. Last week Vancouver suffered category 1 hurricane force winds for only the second time in my 57 years, and in that blowing some 3000 majestic trees met their end in Stanley Park. The seawall my grandfather helped construct is cracked in places and the park is a real mess. The CBC has a slide show enough to bring tears to those who grew up with this majestic legacy.
I am deeply saddened by this. I used to walk from my parents house down to the park, around the seawall (at that time about 5 miles long) and then back home for a total hike of about 20 miles. I spent a great many afternoons in the park as a child and as an adult. It was always one of my very favourite places in Vancouver. It will be a great many decades before the park returns to its former glory, but alas, not in my lifetime.
