Tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary of the storm that ravaged Stanley Park one night, uprooting tens of thousands of trees and gnashing through the sea wall. Over the last year I’ve kept a close eye on the park, and have many photos and blog posts to illustrate the lack of progress and frustration in regards to the use of “$4 million of $9.5 million” in restoration funds.

According to the Vancouver parks board’s director of special projects, Jim Lowden, the progress has been “quite satisfying.” So far, the following work has been done:

– The felling and removal of dangerous trees and clearing of debris and brush is 70-per-cent complete.

– Three thousand of the planned 15,000 to 16,000 new trees have been planted. The rest will be planted in late February and early March.

– Temporary repairs have been made to the seawall and permanent repairs will be made in the spring.

– Cliff stabilization is about 80-per-cent complete.

To come are changes to Prospect Point and the establishment of educational and interpretive legacies such as signs, programs and static and interactive displays. [The Province]

After being closed for a year the sea wall is still just “temporarily fixed” and it was actually closed within a week of reopening due to a mud slide. At Prospect Point the area the size of a soccer pitch was clearcut to make room for more parking. With that in mind the tomorrow’s “tree planting ceremony” has become just that, a ceremony for tourists.

A tree-planting ceremony will be held tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. at the Prospect Point picnic area. The event will mark the anniversary and honour the four lead donors to the park’s rehabilitation. [The Province]

Although I’m glad they didn’t mention anything about animatronic dinosaurs it seems like the Parks Board (or whichever governing body is in charge of all this) doesn’t seem to realize that people go to Stanley Park because it’s a PARK… not Science World.

We’re still going to enjoy the park for what it is, a beautiful woodland filled with streams, ancient mossy cedars, challenging running paths and breathtaking lookouts. I think the last couple million dollars should be used to (finally) stabilize the sea wall and replant trees. If more trees are cut to make room for parking, and interpretive centres crop up alongside glossy signs that replace nurse logs at the side of trails telling us what nature is, Vancouver will be closer than ever to closing its crown jewel.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

On a side note, an excellent alternative to the horribly crowded and heart-stoppingly expensive “Bright Night in Stanley Park” train is the Stanley Park Ecology Society‘s Humbug Holiday Hike:

Our 30-minute Christmas-themed nature walk takes you and your lantern into the wooded areas along the Christmas train route with nothing but a Humbug to guide you! Find out which Christmas traditions Humbugs really don’t like and learn about the new Humbug-approved Christmas traditions that they would like everyone to adopt. [SPES]

That’s something I can get behind and it doesn’t involve extra parking stalls or fancy displays. It’s a simple guided walk. The Humbug Hikes run every day from 5:00pm to 9:00pm, on the hour. Tickets are $5 for Adults, $3 for kids, children two and under are free. The starting point and ticket window are located at the Humbug Holiday Hike tent on-site in the train yard, or reservations can be made from Tuesday through Friday by calling (604) 257-6907.

Also, if you are heading to Stanley Park for Bright Nights, the #19 Bus (Metrotown/Stanley Park) is an excellent alternative to driving in.

I have decided to participate in the BC Children’s Hospital “Skate for a Cure” campaign.

Skate for a Cure is an exciting fundraising event that encourages kids of all ages to get involved in raising funds to find a cure for childhood cancer. [SkateforaCure.com]

The incentive here, aside from raising money for childhood cancer research, is that if you raise a minimum of $150 you get a crack at some fabulous rewards for Sunday January 20, 2008:

If you’d like to donate, visit my personal page OR if you’re a Vancouver blogger, I have created a team: Vancouver Bloggers. This means that if you want to sign up and collect pledges/donations yourself, our individual efforts will go towards a “team” goal.

I think it would be fun to not only donate to this cause and raise some money for the research but also to make it an outing for Vancouver bloggers, should our team reach the our goal.

Participants who raise $250 or more get all of the above PLUS the chance at a signed framed photo taken with a Vancouver Canuck Player (space is limited). Participants who reach the $150 and $250 levels will be notified by e-mail of their skate times in early January.

If you just want to be a spectator on January 20th, you still have to sign up online. Now I just have to get my hands on some skates….

Keira’s recent post about shoes got me thinking about a few things. Sure, I have more pairs of shoes than I can count on my fingers (and toes) but I don’t think I’m obsessive at all. I walk into a store and I know exactly what I want, ie. closed-toe, non-stiletto, non-chunk heel shoes that are not suede or velvet but easily waterproofable for Vancouver days.

Sometimes it’s tough to shop that way as opposed to “hello lover!” impulse buys, but our frugal lifestyle doesn’t always allow for such things.

Photo credit: Stephen Rees on Flickr

One thing I do love though is shoe shopping with my husband (yes, we’re both comfortable enough with his sexuality that I can make that statement). He walks over to the men’s section and I head to the ladies’. We meet up a few minutes later with a couple samples and provide feedback for each other, and talk each other out of hideous decisions. His comments about his own selections are pretty priceless though: “…too biology teacher,” “too Chris Isaac,” “too clodhoppy.” His usual criteria for a pair of shoes is “useful and goodlookin,” after which I make a comment about him and give him a ridiculously cheesy smooch on the cheek.

Two things though about shoes in this city though.

Best place to shop for them? To quote Keira, ‘I’m not gonna lie’, I prefer Payless. I admit that I shop at a chain and yes, at a store on Robson Street. Scandalous I know. But honestly, you can’t beat BOGO – unless we’re talking about the shoe clearance section of The Bay.

Second, where can I get my busted up stilettos fixed? On my way to and from work would be ideal but I haven’t been able to locate a shoe repair shop in those areas. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Today, I’m going to wear flats. This means I’ll be 3 inches shorter than most people think I am, which is kinda fun but my feet will hurt at the end of the day.

It’s that time of year when you just want to overdose on Peppermint Mochas then curl into a ball and nap until March.

Photo credit: kk+ on Flickr

Being in Vancouver, our sun doesn’t rise until after you arrive at work in the morning, and it sets well before you head out the door, bound for home. This leads to many of us becoming Gloomy Guses and Debbie Downers. The effect of the change of season, time and temperature actually has a name: “SAD” or “Seasonal Affective Disorder”.

“…also known as winter depression, is an affective, or mood, disorder. Most SAD sufferers experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms in the winter…” [wiki]

Symptoms could be: fatigue, increased need for sleep (I’m a total over-sleeper lately), decreased levels of energy, weight gain (where the Peppermint Mochas come into play), increase in appetite, and difficulty concentrating.

So just how do we deal with the SAD blues? Eat some protein, cause it makes you happy (ie. eggs for breakfast are tasty and contain 13 vitamins minus vitamin C), and try to get as much sunlight as you can or even turn on some more lights in the house (making sure they’re CFL‘s eh).

If your symptoms begin to seriously affect your everyday life, consult your doctor or mental health professional.

What do I do? Pretty much everything listed above AND I make sure when I get to work that I put on my headphones and crank some rockin’ tunes. The International Noise Conspiracy saved me today. That’s for sure.

Basically for SAD sufferers, try to sustain a well-balanced diet, work in some exercise during the week, stay involved with social activities, and get outside even if it’s cloudy (tanning beds are not helpful in this regard) – the effects of daylight still work wonders. [source: Cleveland Clinic]

Thanks to everyone for entering my blogiversary contest. This evening I put everyone’s name in a hat and drew a winner….

…Ariane from the West End Girl blog – congrats!