Vancouver beach logs return for Celebration of Light

You may soon see more logs on some of Vancouver’s beaches.

The Park Board says some logs will be “rolling onto beaches” in the coming weeks ahead of the Celebration of Light fireworks display.

This comes after the board announced it wouldn’t be bringing the popular seating structures back after pandemic removal.

Logs will return to various beaches, including English Bay this weekend, in anticipation of the fireworks festival.

“As this work is underway, we’ll continue to consult with communities and residents to ensure the beaches are safe and accessible for all,” the Park Board said in a tweet Friday.

Earlier this month, the Vancouver Park Board told CityNews the logs were initially removed from beaches “in response to the pandemic and need for social distancing.”

However, the authority added that the logs had been “kept off the beaches in light of several learnings that arose from that change.”

It cited easier cleaning, safety, and less chance of injury or infrastructure damage during extreme weather as some of the reasons for keeping the logs away.

“Since removing the logs, we’ve found there to be fewer needles, broken glass and other hazards. It also provides staff, Rangers and the police clearer lines of sight across the beaches,” the park board statement explained.

“Previously, people would just walk away from their trash. Once the logs were removed, we noticed an immediate reduction in the amount of garbage left behind.”

Logs have been used as seating at Vancouver beaches since the 1960s after architect Cornelia Oberlander, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 99, came up with the idea and called up a park board commissioner.

Many Vancouverites had previously expressed their disappointment with the Park Board’s earlier decision, before it changed its tune.

It’s unclear how long the logs will remain on the beaches after the Celebration of Light, or if they’ll be removed.