The federal government has given Parks Canada $500,000 to clear the mess of fallen trees and debris left by winter storms along the famous West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island.

More than 2,000 trees were toppled by heavy winds in December along the popular hiking trail. The stormy weather also caused a landslide, washed out a suspension bridge and knocked down two cable cars along the route.

More than 2,000 trees on the West Coast Trail were levelled by the December storms.
(CBC)

Crews had already started  to clear trees from the northern sections of the trail coming out of Bamfield.

The trail stretches 75 kilometres south from Bamfield along the west coast of Vancouver Island to the Port Renfrew area.

$200,000 for Long Beach

There will also be another $200,000 to restore the badly damaged shoreline and streambeds in the Long Beach area of the park near Tofino

The superintendent of Pacific Rim National Park, Robert Sheldon, welcomed the extra money.  

"It will enable us to clear away all the trees that are currently across the trails, on the West Coast Trail and also in the Long Beach unit, and in the Broken Group Islands, because there was damage in all three units of the park, and also allow us to rebuild the structures on the West Coast Trail that were taken down by the landslides."

Parks Canada hopes to have restoration complete in time for the scheduled opening of the trail May 1 for its 100th anniversary.

The Long Beach section of the park will open to visitors as scheduled March 17.