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A 50-metre observation tower has been proposed as a tourist attraction for Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park, the highest point of land in the city.
A private company, Observation Tower Inc., wants to build and operate the tower, taking advantage of the potential 360-degree panorama of the Lower Mainland from the top of the park, which rises to 152 metres above sea level.
However, the trees surrounding the park's viewpoints have matured and now block some of that view.
"You can't see hardly anything any more. You can see a little bit of the harbour, but that's about it," said Vancouver resident Emily Hartwick who recently took a guest from Mexico to the park.
The Vancouver Park Board is set to consider whether to send the proposal to public consultation.
Park board commissioner Alan De Genova said he'll support the idea at this stage, hoping it might offset the steady decline in park visitors.
"The idea of creating some kind of observation tower that can get people to see, and perhaps help us to generate some dollars to help us offset our losses, would also be welcome, as far as I'm concerned."
In 2001, there were 119,000 visitors to the Bloedel Observatory in the park. By 2006, that had declined to 65,000 ticket buyers.
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