New Westminster’s Pier Park reopens six months after devastating fire
Posted March 31, 2021 9:16 pm.
Last Updated April 1, 2021 10:41 pm.
NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS 1130) — Months after a massive fire tore through New Westminster’s popular Pier Park, the city is finally ready to reopen the gathering spot.
While there are still some repairs to be done, mayor Jonathan Cote says the park will be open to the public Friday.
“There was a large part of the park that wasn’t damaged, but some work had to be done to do some cleanup and to improve some of the access to the park. So it did take some time to reopen. We’re looking forward to reopening that part of the park,” he says. “There is still going to be a lot more work that’s going to need to be done to essentially replace the part of the park that was fully destroyed by the fire.”
Last September, a fire broke out, and flames shot into the sky, sending plumes of thick, black smoke across the Fraser River. The pier fire burned through the giant “W” statue, volleyball courts, and beachfront lounging area.
The art installation had been a beloved landmark to the city, but despite crews’ attempts to salvage the piece, the City of New Westminster could not preserve it safely.
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“It’s really an important city park in our community and really is an important gathering point. So it was really devastating for the community to see it go up in flames in the fall.”
While the pier has been closed for six months, people planning to visit this weekend will notice some new additions.
“There’s actually some really new playground features that I think people are going to be pretty excited about. And I think it would just give one more reason for people to want to check out the new park,” the mayor says.
New seating features have also been added.
And for fans of The Queen’s Gambit, there are built-in chess boards in some of the tables.
Cote is encouraging people planning to make it down to the pier to be mindful of COVID restrictions.
– With files from Ashley Burr
