For some, it was just a hunk of wood washed up on the shore, but for many Kitsilano residents, the log on the beach at the foot of Trafalgar St. was much, much more. It was a playground, a therapist, a landmark — a relic of the past in an ever-changing city.
After decades as a mainstay of the community, however, the log is now slowly being chopped up, the blade of the city's saw slicing into the soul of those who cherished its presence.
"Walking along the Point Grey foreshore from Kits Beach is one of my favourite things and when I came up to that wonderful log and saw it hacked to pieces, I was really shocked," resident David Fine told the Western Standard. "I wondered if it had been vandalized, so to find out that our park board had intentionally done this, without warning or input from the public, was truly shocking."
He called the city's move "insensitive" given the sentimental value of the log, and argued that "there is no reason why it could not be moved to an appropriate location, or at least dealt with after getting input from the public about what to do with it."
"Someone really needs to answer for this," Fine added. "I hope it actually can be repaired and saved."
Someone did answer for it — Vancouver Park Board Director of Park Operation Amit Gandha.
He told the Western Standard that the decision was made after discovering "numerous safety and engineering considerations which necessitated its removal."
"Over time the force of water and tides against it has caused damage to the section to the adjacent seawall, stairway railing and retaining wall," Gandha explained. "Crews are also working to determine the best method for removing the log material as it is a risk to the infrastructure as we get into king tides later this season.
He added that while the park board is "aware that certain members of the community are sorry to see the log go," the risks left them with no other option.
A number of residents shared their personal stories with the Western Standard, each lamenting the loss of the Trafalgar log.
"After one of the king tides, someone posted 'our big log is still there!' and we all knew exactly what they were referring to," Debbie Woods Brodie said. "It is a landmark in our memories; the one item in Kits that hasn't changed since we were children."
"We have all sat on it, marvelled at its size, and wondered about its history," she added. "It has seen the tide come in and recede every day. It has seen wars and peace times. We all thought it would be there forever. To see its decimation today broke my heart. This shows the city knows nothing of what is important to the people."
Many, like Autumn Ennenberg, had a deeply personal connection to the log.
"That log was my therapist when I was a teen in the 70's," she said. "It listened to my stories and absorbed my tears and frustrations. I'm devastated that it's being cut up."
Jaylin Krieger, whose father recently passed away, recalled the time she spent with him along the shore.
"I remember sitting on that log with my Dad as a child on the brink of maturing and telling him that I didn't want to grow up," she recalled. "Well, I'm grown now, and he is gone ... We will be saying our final goodbyes to him in less than a couple weeks time, will make sure to stop by and give the log a hug for him on that day as I know it was as much a part of his childhood as it was mine. Hopefully there is still something left of it by then."
The city has not provided a timeline for the log's destruction, leaving residents wondering how long it will be before their treasured timber and everything it represents are reduced to nothing but a pile of sawdust.