For at least one Marpole resident, the approval of a sculpture of a tree in front of an image of a forest for the MC² development at Southwest Marine Drive and Cambie Street is a mournful irony.
“I’m not against art, but the city cut down 100 beautiful healthy trees on the southeast corner right across the road and I know some of them could have been saved,” said Don Larson, a community activist. “So it’s ironic the only thing the people who will be living in that development will have is an artist depiction of the Stanley Park tree.”
On Wednesday, developer Intracorp announced artist Douglas Coupland has been commissioned to create a 13-metre replica of the iconic Hollow Tree in Stanley Park, which will stand in front of an image of a forest. The sculpture, made from steel-reinforced resin, will have a gold patina and weigh in at about 15,876 kilograms. Dubbed the “Golden Tree,” the instillation is expected to be in place sometime next year. Coupland is best known as the author of popular fiction and non-fiction books, including Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, and is also an internationally renowned artist and in Vancouver his sculptures include the Terry Fox Memorial at B.C. Place and Digital Orca in Jack Poole Plaza at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.
Larson said Marpole is in dire need of more green space and parks, particularly in light of the massive development taking place. Once complete, the MC² development will include 443 market condos, 110 rental units and 836 square-metres of commercial space. Besides the sculpture, the public art project includes two artist-in-residence studios for use by the city. Intracorp will pick up the $75,000 price tag for the art installation.
Larson believes that money could be better spent.
“There should be a 10-acre park for those people, not a fake tree,” said Larson. “Marpole doesn’t have a lot of genuine amenities like a proper library or genuine community spaces.”
Realtor Bob Rennie, whose company is marketing MC², said that while some trees were cut down, the fact the project is being built adjacent to transit helps offset the loss.
“Twenty-five per cent of the suites don’t come with parking spaces,” said Rennie. “That’s 100 people without cars. And that it’s going to be by transit means everyone can see it.”
Rennie said Vancouver must protect its monuments and cultural properties.
“Doug is a cultural property himself and now he’s protecting a cultural property forever.”
As reported earlier in the Courier, the 2006 windstorm that ravaged Stanley Park accelerated the decline of the Hollow Tree, which was already leaning. In January 2007, a crew installing a metal brace to help hold the 800-year-old tree in place accidentally set it on fire with a spark from a welder’s torch. By March, the popular tourist attraction was being held in place by steel braces and cables and, according to a staff report at the time, the eastern half of the root flare was rotted away.
In 2008, park board staff recommended removing the Hollow Tree citing safety concerns. But the ad hoc group the Stanley Park Hollow Tree Conservation Society quickly formed and raised the $60,000 needed to stabilize it.
