Officials stumped on how to save Vancouver's hollow tree

One of Vancouver's most famous landmarksis in danger of toppling over.

The hollow tree is a key feature of Stanley Park,where it has stood for700 to 800 years. The huge, hollowed-out cedar stump is one of the city's most photographed attractions and is large enough toaccommodate two horses and their riders.

But its days appear to be numbered, unless Stanley Park officials can find a way of permanently stabilizing the aging stump, which tilted so far last month that some are comparing it to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

"At this point, we have the expertise, and the engineers have the expertise to salvage the tree for at least a period of time,'' said Eric Meagher, the park's maintenance supervisor.

He was referring to recent efforts to prop up the tree using steel aircraft cables.

"But let's face it, everything has a life cycle,'' Meagher said.

Engineering consultant Jerry Lum said the hollow tree is now basically like a barrel of planks held together by cable.

"So what's happening is that if we do manage to stabilize the tree in the long term, the tree will continue to deteriorate and the planks will continue to shrink, crack and fall apart, essentially, from the inside," he said.