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Why Vancouver may struggle to plant more trees

Why Vancouver may struggle to plant more trees

Their goal is to plant an additional 160,000 trees in the city.

Geoff Sharpe & Nate Lewis
May 30, 2025

In partnership with

Good morning!

Geoff here today, subbing in for Nate, who’s caught a nasty bug.

When I lived in Chinatown, one of the big things I noticed was the difference in tree coverage compared to the rest of the city. If you travelled to most other neighbourhoods, you’d realize just how little coverage there is in the neighbourhood.

The need for canopy coverage is critical. The city recognizes this and has a new plan for increasing the number of trees in the city. We break it all down.

Plus, it’s the last few days before our survey closes. I have a small favour to ask — if you’re between the ages of 25-40, please take the survey as we want to ensure we have a representative sample of our Lookout readership.

You can complete the survey here.

Let’s dive in!

— Geoff Sharpe, Lookout managing editor

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free.

WEATHER

Friday: 19 🌡️ 13 | 🌤️

Saturday: 14 🌡️ 9 | 🌧️

Sunday: 14 🌡️ 8 | ☀️

Monday: 16 🌡️ 9 | 🌤️

THE LOOKOUT RECOMMENDS

Fish!: I’m seeing more and more people post about GoodFish Seafood. The founders, Sam and Fraser, are serving up high-quality, sustainably caught fish, with options like halibut, octopus, sablefish, lingcod and albacore tuna. And their storefront at 1505 W 1st Ave just opened!

Rice is nice: Later in the newsletter, you’ll see a review of a great little Indonesian place in International Village. Another place to check out in the mall is Zenya Japanese Kitchen, which has onigiri at very affordable prices.

If you don’t know: There is more than just the Vancouver Art Gallery! Equinox at 3462 Commercial has a bunch of modern paintings, the Bill Reid Gallery at 639 Hornby showcases Indigenous Northwest Coast art, and who can forget the Beaumont Studios at 316 W 5th Ave. with their B1 Gallery focusing on works from Vancouver artists.

Studio walk-through: And in keeping with the art theme in this recommendation section, you may want to check out West of Main Art Walk, a free event this weekend where you can explore all the different artist studios throughout Kitsilano and West Point Grey. Full map here.

CLIMATE

Why Vancouver may struggle to plant more trees

City of Vancouver

What happened: With the days beginning to heat up, having access to trees in the city is more important than ever. Last week, council adopted a new Urban Forest Strategy to help increase the city’s tree canopy coverage. But is the strategy actually doable?

What’s in it: The plan calls on the addition of 165,000 trees over the next 25 years, to increase the area covered by branches and leaves to 30 per cent coverage by 2050. Canopy coverage has increased by four per cent in nine years, from 21 per cent of coverage in 2013 to 25 per cent in 2022, meaning there is another five per cent to hit their target. They also noted that the city has planted 50,000 seedlings in Stanley Park since 2024.

There are many reasons the council wants to expand tree coverage, but a big one is climate change and heat adaptability. The city is getting hotter, and trees allow more heat to be absorbed, helping reduce ambient air temperatures by 1-5 degrees.

City block land surface temperature

Inequities: Back in 2021, the heat dome temperatures were concentrated in certain neighbourhoods according to council’s report and map above. These areas tend to overlap with locations that have reduced tree coverage.

Canopy cover by block

Strathcona (9%) and the downtown core (12%) have the least amount of coverage, while Dunbar-Southlands (35%) and Shaughnessy (41%) have the most. Most of East Vancouver has coverage of only around 10-20 per cent, while the richer parts of Vancouver tend to have between 20-30+ per cent.

The biggest loss of canopy cover has been in the downtown core, and in East Vancouver. Very little has been lost in the richer, single-family home areas of Vancouver.

It’s not as simple as digging a hole and planting a tree. Tree need a good container base so each tree can grow as large as possible and survive things like drought, according to CityNews.

Looking ahead: The report identifies challenges around population growth and maintaining trees in communities as development increases. The city has a goal of 83,00 new homes by 2033, meaning even more pressure will be placed on urban canopies.

Professor Stephen Sheppard of BC’s forest faculty told council there needs to be a balance between development and maintaining existing coverage, and adding more trees to these projects, according to CBC, as well as better incentivizing private property owners to plant more trees.

What it means: While the city has made strong progress in recent years, the city's associate director of urban forestry says the last five per cent is going to be a challenge, according to CBC, because all the inexpensive tree planting has mostly been done. Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung also said the city needs to be realistic about hitting that goal.

One question: One neighbourhood seeing much development is the area within the Broadway Plan. Will the area maintain tree coverage as the buildings increase?

Thank you for reading. Share this week’s story at this link, and tell your friends to sign up here.

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

69th

That’s Vancouver’s ranking when it comes to traffic times around the world, and first in Canada. Vancouverites spend an average of 27 minutes per 10 km, and 86 hours in rush hour every single year. This was calculated using TomTom traffic data. [TomTom]

THE AGENDA

🚆 As one way to increase funding for transit operations, a $1.50 fare increase was approved earlier this month for all Canada Line trips into Vancouver from YVR and Sea Island. There’s currently an extra $5 fee for these trips. When the increase takes effect in July 2026 it will be the first time the fee has been raised since the line opened in 2009. [Urbanized]

🦠 An algae bloom in Stanley Park’s Lost Lagoon has come months early this year. It’s a result of the constructed water body’s poor health – a longstanding ecological problem in the park. [Vancouver Sun, The West End Journal]

🔫On Saturday, May 31, the Royal Canadian Navy will be conducting firearms training at their base in Stanley Park. No live ammunition will be used at any time, according to HMCS Discovery.

A missing person in Vancouver was found dead on Thursday. The body of Matthew Hutchings, a 20-year-old UBC student, was found next to the tracks near the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain station, according to police. Hutchings was last seen in the area, near the Safeway, early on Sunday morning. [CTV]

At Wreck Beach, a dead body was discovered early on Wednesday morning. The person was in their early 30s, but no other identifying information or cause of death was provided by police, who are investigating what happened. [North Shore News]

Outside Vancouver

A four-year-old died and two women were injured after being hit by a public bus outside the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal on Wednesday afternoon. The child’s mother is now in stable condition, while the other woman has been released from the hospital, according to a spokesperson for the family. One witness described the bus failing to stop, hopping the curb, while photos from the scene show the bus on the sidewalk. The bus driver, a TransLink employee, is fully cooperating with police, and bus speed is not considered to be a contributing factor in the incident, according to West Van police. [CTV, CityNews, WVP]

🚫This week, MLAs were banned from holding provincial and local office at the same time. The common practice of resigning a local government seat if elected provincially, like city councillor Christine Boyle did when she was elected as an MLA in 2024, is now a requirement. The new bill, which takes effect immediately, will trigger by-elections in Abbotsford and Langley to replace a school board trustee and a city councillor who became MLAs last year. [CBC, Abby News]

FOOD

Bali Thai is the definition of hidden gem

Written in December 2024.

Bali Thai, located in the International Village food court, has a grand total of one write-up online. With just under 100 words, the story from Daily Hive barely does the place justice. Because what’s lurking behind the innocuous logo and name — it’s not in fact Thai food, but Indonesian — is the type of food worth travelling for.

It also happens to be run by one of the kindest ladies you’re likely to meet in a food court, or any food establishment. Quick with a joke, with many suggestions, you can’t go wrong asking her for advice.

The menu is stocked with Indonesian specialties. Hainanese chicken, beef rendang, laksa, the list goes on.

Another plus? The prices. A large two-meat, one-vegetable meal, enough potentially for two meals, is $14.99 (the website is a little dated and says $11.99). Most other dishes are around $15.00, again, all appearing to be quite large.

Beef randeng, chicken, eggplant, coconut rice. Vancity Lookout/Geoff Sharpe

The woman recommended the beef rendang, eggplant and chicken, along with the coconut rice.

Beef Rendang is a popular Indonesian dish from West Sumatra. Cooked slowly with coconut milk, to me it has the flavour profile of a Japanese curry, without the sauce, as most is cooked away, leaving a tender beef usually infused with cinnamon, cardamon, lemongrass, star anise and other spices.

If you’re looking for meat that falls apart, then this is it. It was almost goey soft, pungently delicious with a light sweetness, with little dried garlic bits on top. It paired well with the sweet coconut rice. Really an excellent representation of the flavours of the region.

The Japanese eggplant had a pleasant texture. The one problem is that dishes like this can be overcooked, leaving it mushy. This wasn’t the case, and I’d recommend it as your vegetable dish.

The chicken was fine, slightly sweet, but not overly memorable. Frankly, the beef was a tough act to follow.

Bali Thai Bali iced latte. Vancity Lookout/Geoff Sharpe

The woman convinced me I had to try the Bali Iced Latte. Made by Blaze Gourmet Burgers, somehow, it’s one of the best coffee drinks I’ve had this year. What makes it so memorable is the palm sugar. It’s a different sweetness, brighter and intense, a perfect combination with the slightly bitter and creamy coffee.

Don’t let the mall fool you. Bali Thai should be your new destination for Indonesian food, or quick lunch, whether you’re a fan or just looking to try it.

And if the lady gives you a red spice sauce, use it delicately.

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WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

Vancouver International Children’s Festival | Various locations, Granville Island | Now until June 1, various times | Theatre, circus, puppetry, dance, and kids' activities | Tickets from $14

STICKY: 4th Annual Sticky Note Show | Gallery 881, 881 E Hastings St | May 30–31, 7 pm (Fri), 12 pm (Sat) | Affordable art show with $25 sticky note artworks | Free

Spanish Feast Without Borders | 1263 Homer Street | May 30, 6 pm & 8:30 pm | One-night culinary journey through Spanish flavours | Tickets $60+

Vital Signs | Bill Reid Gallery, 639 Hornby St | Now until Sept. 7, 10 am | Indigenous art on climate and land resilience | Learn more

WrestleCore presents Destroy Wrestling | The Rickshaw, 254 E Hastings St | May 30, 8 pm | High-flying, hardcore wrestling action, with live music from WAIT//LESS | Tickets $40

Steve Hofstetter | Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre, 950 W 41st Ave | May 30, 7:30 pm | One of YouTube’s most popular comics, with over 225 million views | Tickets $35

Bruce Liu Plays Prokofiev | Orpheum, 601 Smithe St | May 30-June 1 | Classical concert with piano and symphonic works | Tickets $32–135

Sophia's Forest | Studio T at SFU Woodwards | To June 1 | A chamber opera that explores the inner life of an immigrant girl | Regular price: $55+

An Ideal Husband | Jericho Arts Centre, 1675 Discovery St | May 30–June 22, various times | Oscar Wilde play on secrets and morality | Tickets $15–$35

Disney's My Son Pinocchio Jr. - Puppeteer Cast | Laura C Muir Performing Arts, New Westminster | June 5, 8 pm | The classic tale, retold from Geppetto's perspective as he learns the meaning of family | Tickets $14

The Vancouver Social - Networking Night | Chit Chat Burger, 955 Granville St | June 5, 7:30 pm | Expand your clientele, hire or get hired, find business partners, and more | Tickets $19

Jewish Culture Festival | Rocky Point Park, Port Moody | June 8, 1-4 pm | A vibrant celebration of Jewish heritage, with music, dance, art and mouthwatering Jewish cuisine | Free admission

Dancing On The Edge Festival | Firehall Arts Centre and SFU Woodward’s | June 12 to 21, 2025 | Dancing On The Edge Festival, Canada’s longest-running contemporary dance festival, returns for its 37th year, featuring 3 world premieres and 2 Canadian premieres | Tickets $25-$50

DreamLab | Center of International Contemporary Art, 228 Abbott St | June 14, 3 pm | An art therapy experience rooted in dreams | Tickets $35

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Reddit/impressivefault8542

This is how you know summer is here (at least for a few nice days that is).

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

Music, migration and memory encapsulate the new exhibit Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s–2000 at the Chinese Canadian Museum. [Straight]
T’way Air is a new airline flying out of Vancouver, with multiple flights to Seoul, South Korea. [Vancouver is Awesome]
Nardwuar is getting his own sneaker line thanks to Nike. [Vancouver Sun]
A townhouse complex in South Vancouver had an unexpected guest — a bear! Luckily, the bear was tranquillized and relocated. [Vancouver is Awesome]