Upcoming event
Jane's Walk Vancouver
May 1–3, 2026
WhereTheTreesWere will be leading two free community walks as part of Jane's Walk Vancouver, the annual festival of neighbourhood walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs.
- ①
Trees of the West End
An introduction to the history, diversity, and health of the West End's street trees.
- ②
Where The Trees Were
An exploration of street tree stumps and a discussion on urban forest management in Vancouver.
Walk times to be announced.
Every stump is a tree that can't be replaced yet
When a tree is removed in Vancouver, the stump must be ground down before a new tree can be planted. But with 5,500 stumps in the backlog and insufficient capacity for removal, these stumps sit for years — some for over a decade. Each one represents a gap in our urban canopy, a new tree that can't be planted, and a piece of our neighbourhood that's missing.
WhereTheTreesWere documents this reality in the West End. We photograph each stump, map its location, and tell the story of the tree that once stood there.
Our goal is simple: make the invisible visible, and build the case for more trees.
The Park Board knows about the backlog. What they need is accountability for their inaction on a solution. A big part of the problem is underfunding: the Park Board needs to invest in equipment. That won't happen without funding from the City, who has kept the budget below what is needed to care for our aging urban forest.
