Latest news with #StanleyPark
CTV News
20-07-2025
- CTV News
What's that orange stuff? Algae bloom flourishes at Stanley Park's Lost Lagoon
If you've been to Stanley Park this summer, you may be wondering what the strange-looking orange stuff is on the edges of Lost Lagoon. It's a type of algae that began blooming in early May and continues to flourish, with the organic material stretching metres from the shore into the man-made lake in some areas. 'We're not testing it, doubt that it's toxic algae, but they do happen in various lakes,' said Chad Townsend, the Vancouver Park Board's environmental planner, adding they want parkgoers and their dogs to stay out of the water. Lost Lagoon algae He said they're monitoring the algae but that they can't do much except let it run its natural life cycle: bloom, diminish, then sink to the bottom of the lagoon. 'Due to the decisions of the past, we have a major project with Lost Lagoon. It's human nature, I think, to look for easy solutions and think, 'This one change would, clean up Lost Lagoon.' But it is a major project,' said Townsend. The lagoon used to be a tidal ecosystem connected to Coal Harbour, but a century ago it was closed off for pleasure boating when the causeway was built and the water has no natural circulation. The pond is iconic in the park, but the water has been brackish for years and park board staff expect to present various options for the lagoon's future in the fall. Townsend says the board will work with the port authority and First Nations to determine what the future of the lagoon will look like. In pre-colonial times it was a shellfish harvesting site and has cultural significance for local Indigenous communities. Last Lagoon algae
CBC
18-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
No-swimming advisories at 8 Metro Vancouver beaches
If you're planning to take a swim in Metro Vancouver, better check with Vancouver Coastal Health. Several beaches have been put under advisories because of elevated E. coli levels. Johna Baylon hit the west end and Stanley Park to find out how beachgoers are faring.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
No-swimming advisories at 8 Metro Vancouver beaches
If you're planning to take a swim in Metro Vancouver, better check with Vancouver Coastal Health. Several beaches have been put under advisories because of elevated E. coli levels. Johna Baylon hit the west end and Stanley Park to find out how beachgoers are faring.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Tennis Growing Rapidly in Canada
Vancouver Watch Ben West of National Bank and Jeff Baumann of Ankora Retaining Wall discuss the importance of their involvement in the National Bank Stanley Park Open on CTV Morning Live.
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Stanley Park Train won't return this year, and maybe never will
The beloved and beleaguered Stanley Park Train will remain closed for the rest of the year. The beloved and beleaguered Stanley Park Train will officially remain off the tracks for the rest of 2025 – meaning no Halloween or Christmas route – and the City of Vancouver is deliberating the future of the attraction. The 1960s-era locomotive was halted early last holiday season after a worker got sick from exhaust fumes, adding to a long list of reasons the attraction has operated only sporadically over the past five years, including mechanical problems, the pandemic, and coyotes. In a presentation to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Monday, staff said the train is at the end of its life, and therefore repairs are becoming more frequent and expensive. The Stanley Park Train lost $2.9 million from 2019 to 2024 and about $700,000 this year, according to the report. The situation as it stands poses safety, financial, reputational, and operational risks, the park board heard. Staff presented three possible options for the future of the site on Monday, which include electrifying and fixing the current train, replacing the train and its tracks, and creating a new attraction entirely with a third-party partner. 'Preliminary analysis shows that a full renewal of the train and the ancillary buildings and amenities could require substantial capital investment,' reads a Tuesday news release from the City of Vancouver. 'Alternative operating models, including some form of partnership or third-party operation could lead to a revitalized, reimagined attraction that would reduce the reliance on tax dollars to return the site to operation.' Fixing or replacing the train would cost about $8 million and would garner the lowest financial returns, staff told the board. Meanwhile, the report said the city has received 'multiple proposals' from businesses to build something new, and claimed that would lead to more revenue and more visitors, including tourists. Park Board Commissioner Scott Jensen told CTV News he'd most like to see the train remain in Stanley Park, but will keep an open mind and wants to hear what residents prefer. The presentation indicated ticket prices at an externally operated site could go up to $45. Staff anticipate an increase in prices if the attraction remains at the status quo as well, up to $20. 'I would want to look at what is going to be the best fit for that space that lets the most people have access to it, you know, some parks should not be for some and exclude others,' Jensen said. The specifics of keeping the train in action or remaking the site with a new business model remain up in the air. Consultation on the options is expected to begin this quarter and a call for expression of interest will launch later this year. Park board staff are expected to present further findings in early 2026. 'As part of their report, staff will bring forward proposed strategies for engaging key interest holders and the public, as appropriate, on any changes to the train and its site,' the city's statement reads.
