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In Vancouver, how to clean up after windstorm of the decade

500 trees damaged in August storm
windstorm storm tree
Near Manitoba Street and Broadway, an uprooted tree fell into the backyard of a dog grooming business Aug. 29, 2015. Trees were at risk because their foliage was full and because a rainless spring and summer left roots excessively dry. Photo Megan Stewart

The clean-up is underway after the windstorm of the decade downed 500 trees in Vancouver and left half a million people in B.C. without power over the weekend.

B.C. Hydro dealt with the largest outage in its history and at least 3,000 customers remained in the dark as of Tuesday afternoon. Broken branches fell and uprooted trees crashed onto streets and into homes as more than 500 trees were toppled or damaged, according to the Vancouver Park Board.

A variety of tree types were lost in the storm, including flowering plums and cottonwood trees. Few cedars were knocked down, but any suitable carving wood will be reserved for First Nations.

Read More from the Archives: Stanley Park hammered by storm of the century

All alterial roads and blocked side streets were cleared Monday according to a park board news release.

“Crews are currently concentrating on trees that have fallen on houses and cars as well as blockages of secondary roads and bike lanes,” stated the release, which was sent out Tuesday afternoon.

The park board provides these ways to help:

  • Residents can contribute by removing any fallen branches and limbs on private property and ensuring storm drains and catch basins are clear of debris.
  • Residents can dispose of smaller fallen branches and limbs that are under 10 cm and 50 cm long as well as leaves and other garden debris by placing them in their green bin. Crews can assist in the case of safety concerns related to the removal of fallen trees, branches or limbs.
  • For larger wood pieces up to 45 cm in diameter and 2.5 metres in length and for wood that doesn’t fit into a green bin, residents of Vancouver can drop them off at the city’s transfer station at 377 West Kent Avenue North. Drop off is free this weekend from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Regular disposal fees still apply to commercial businesses such as landscaping companies.
  • Other waste such as spoiled food can be dumped in a household green bins. Residents can also take food waste, once the packaging is removed, to the city’s transfer station for free.

The park board is making wood available in these ways:

  • Woodchips are available year-round at the south end of Sunset Arena at 390 East 51st Avenue. The entrance is off Prince Edward Street. The chips are piled on the ground and are free to take at any time.
  • Wood is being piled on the boulevards of storm damaged neighbourhoods in what the park board calls “impromptu woodlots.” Residents can take what they can safely haul away but are not permitted to use a chain-saw.
  • By next week crews will transport wood to the Spanish Banks woodlot, located west of the Jericho Sailing Centre, where wood is available to be sawed into firewood throughout the fall and winter.

For updates, follow the Vancouver Park Board on Twitter.