The Little Looper Caterpillar

Written and performed by Foghorn Lil (guitar and vocals) with Barb Shaw (harmonica and vocals).

Press Release - PRECEDENT SETTING COURT SHOWDOWN ON STANLEY PARK LOGGING IMMINENT

Stanley Park Preservation Society Director and talented musician Jillian Maguire will be performing her newly released song, Little Looper Caterpillar, live in front of the Law Courts at 800 Smithe, Vancouver, at 9:30 AM on Wednesday, November 8, 2025!

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 9:30 am in front of the BC Supreme Court at 800 Smithe Street, there will be a press conference just minutes before the Court’s hearing of a judicial review petition filed by Stanley Park Preservation Society, Michael Robert Caditz, Anita Hansen, Katherine Caditz, and Jillian Maguire. They will be arguing that the continuing removals of thousands of trees in Stanley Park are the result of unreasonable decisions and procedural unfairness by the City of Vancouver and the Park Board.

The petitioners assert that City and Park Board claims that trees impacted by the hemlock looper pose a danger to the public are contrary to overwhelming scientific evidence, that trees are not being assessed properly by provincially certified tree risk assessors, and that the City usurped the authority of the Park Board by executing contracts with logging contractor B.A. Blackwell & Associates and felling trees before obtaining consent from the commissioners.

The Petitioners retained Malcolm Funt and Charlotte Chamberlain of Vancouver law firm Bojm, Funt & Gibbons LLP, who will be asking the Court to quash multiple tree removal contracts. If the Petitioners are successful, the Court’s orders will likely set precedent on how governmental bodies must proceed before approving logging operations.

The Petitioners’ offer to settle was ignored by the City and Park Board. In exchange for dropping the lawsuit, the Petitioners asked that:

· Only trees that have been assessed as imminently dangerous by a provincially certified tree risk assessor may be felled.

· That written records be kept of the assessment and made public.

· That employees of the City of Vancouver carry out any justified tree removals (rather than outside contractors).

· That consistent with the Vancouver Charter, the City acknowledge that the Park Board commissioners have exclusive authority over the maintenance and management of Stanley Park.

· That the Director of Parks and the General Manager of Parks be appointed by the elected Park Board Commissioners (rather than hired by the City)

· That the City and Park Board recognize that members of the public have the right to be consulted and to comment on major projects in Stanley Park.

more info:
Stanley Park Preservation Society
https://savestanleypark.ca