Calling the damage "incredible," B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell says provincial grants of up to $4 million over four years will be made available to help pay for the restoration of Vancouver's storm-lashed Stanley Park.

Premier Gordon Campbell said the money would come from the Local Motion program and would be conditional on the city matching the grants each year.

Premier Gordon Campbell takes a closer look at a downed tree while touring Vancouver's Stanley Park on Friday.
(CBC)

However, he added that public donations to the park board might qualify as matching funds.

Campbell toured the park Friday to get a first-hand look at the storm damage. He said a silver lining to all the damage may be improved access to the park.

Federal Environment Minister John Baird promised federal financial support when he toured the park Jan. 8, but wasn't prepared to make a specific financial commitment.

Earlier, Vancouver businessman Jimmy Pattison promised to match public contributions of up to $1 million for park restoration.

About 3,000 trees were destroyed or damaged by a huge windstorm on Dec. 15. More trees have been felled by more windstorms that have pounded the Lower Mainland since then.

The east side of the park was reopened to the public on Thursday following the latest storm earlier this week.

Public consultation recommended

A preliminary plan for the cleanup and restoration of the landmark park has been completed

It recommends hiring geotechnical, forestry and environmental experts to form a steering committee. It also calls for a public consultation process to give the public a say.

The Dec. 15 windstorm uprooted some old trees in Stanley Park.
(CBC)

The report's author, Jim Lowden, said the seawall and most of the trails on the east side of the park will likely stay closed until June at the earliest.

He added there's no quick fix for cleaning up and restoring the badly battered park, and that the work shouldn't be rushed.

"We're talking to the people in Halifax who went through this with their big civic park with Hurricane Juan a couple of years ago. The one major piece of advice that's coming through from them and the professionals we're talking to is: 'Don't rush into this. Take all the time you need to learn everything you can to do it once and do it right.'"

The Vancouver Park Board is expected to endorse the report at its next meeting on Monday night.

"I'm pretty sure we're all going to be on the same page. All seven of the commissioners only want the best for Stanley Park," said vice-chair Korina Houghton.

The total cost of the restoration has been estimated at $4 million.