A recent poll found that 85 percent of Vancouver-area residents support expansion of the city's aquarium in Stanley Park, a project that would boost a major tourist magnet in time for the 2010 Olympics.
The poll, which was sponsored by the aquarium, paints a sharp contrast with Seattle, where activists are hamstringing the Woodland Park Zoo's plans to build a 700-car parking garage to accommodate current visitors. A planned expansion of Seattle's aquarium -- also a tourist attraction -- is years away, pending rebuilding of the waterfront viaduct freeway.
Vancouver Aquarium plans a 50 percent expansion that would include adding more whales or dolphins. Construction is supposed to start next spring and would cost 32 trees.