A public chainsaw “log yard” next to the Spanish Banks walking path and volleyball poles has some Vancouver residents questioning the safety of nearby animals and children at the popular hangout spot.

Jane Mundy and Nikki Bayley were walking their dogs just south of the Beach Cafe on Thanksgiving when they saw a man slicing “gigantic logs” into several pieces, metres away from a woman with her child.

“Kids are allowed in this area,” Mundy said. “I couldn’t believe it, it was hysterical, here we are, people were screaming at me to not have my dog on the beach and this guy’s got his chainsaw going, whirr.”

On Tuesday, a nearby resident resting near the cutting zone also questioned how safety standards are handled, since she usually sees men armed with chainsaws without goggles or proper boots.

The resident didn’t want her name published, but described the sound — which she hears on about 20% of her visits to Spanish Banks — “like a plane taking off” or a “jackhammer.”

Bayley, who arrived in Vancouver from England about a month ago, thought chainsawing logs was just the “Canadian” thing to do.

“I just thought, ‘what on Earth is going on?” she said. “I just assumed it was a healthy outdoor pursuit that you guys get up to.”

Park Board spokeswoman Daria Wojnarski said the “log yard” location is unique in Vancouver and is only open between October and May.

“It is during the quieter months … and it’s usually driftwood and maybe the odd tree that’s cut down,” she said. “It seems to be something that’s been embraced by the community, it’s really a convenience to Vancouver residences with wood burning fireplaces.”

According to the city’s parks control bylaw, use of chainsaws is prohibited in all Vancouver beaches and parks.

That is, unless exempted “in writing” by the parks general manager, and “conditions shall and must include the assumption by such persons of all risk of harm and injury arising from or in any way associated with the operation of chain saws and the cutting and removal of logs.”