Vancouver’s Stanley Park seawall fully reopens

The Third Beach and Lions Gate Bridge section of the Stanley Park seawall has reopened to the public after a windstorm and king tide in January destroyed the walkway and left the area nearly unrecognizable.

Just a few months ago, the path between Second Beach and Lions Gate Bridge enjoyed by cyclists, runners, and park users was lined with broken blocks of concrete. Months of repairs have finally led to the reopening.

“This storm was unlike anything we had seen before, but we know how important the seawall is to our community,” Dave Hutch, Director of Park Planning and Development, said. “So repairing it quickly was of the highest priority for us.”

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Repairs and reinforcement along the 3.5-kilometre stretch included creating rigid walls to prevent further damage. Crews also repaved sections to make it more accessible for all users.

The City adds in a statement, “Stonemasons have been working to rebuild the stone work and crews have been adding new capstones along with reinforced concrete to further strengthen the seawall.”

Minor work in the area will continue, so the City is warning the public to be cautious, however, it will not impact access to the pathway.

The City is calling the damage caused by the storm and the extreme weather another “wake-up call” on climate change and a look into the future as sea levels and coastlines change.

“The Park Board will be initiating conversations with residents about how we should plan for this uncertain future and how our waterfront parks, the seawall and beaches will adapt to our changing climate,” said Hutch. “We will need to ask ourselves what we value about our waterfronts and how we can coexist in a world of increasing sea levels and more extreme weather.”

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City staff will now focus their attention to other areas damaged by the storm, like the Kitsilano Pool and Jericho Pier.

Because of “significant damage” the park board said the pool may not open for the summer as a result.

Pool inspection unveiled cracks in the deck floor, as well as other areas where deck panels have lifted. Chambers that are used to help fill the pool with water were also damaged, Peter Fox, manager of Recreation Services had said.

Meanwhile, the fate of Jericho Pier, also known as Discovery Pier, remains unknown.

It seems the pier will also be out of commission for its busiest months, as options for the future of the pier are still being determined, according to the Vancouver Park Board.

“The damage to Jericho Pier was severe and created a safety hazard that slowed down inspection of the pier. The Park Board’s marine consultants have now successfully completed a detailed assessment of the structure by boat to determine possible paths forward based on the condition of the major structural elements. Options for the future of the pier are currently being determined and staff will be bringing them forward to the Park Board for a decision later this summer,” Vancouver Park Board communications strategist Andrew Burns said in an email to CityNews earlier this week.

– With files from Claire Fenton and Hana Mae Nassar