North Vancouver trails closed for repairs after atmospheric river
Posted October 28, 2024 7:09 am.
Last Updated October 28, 2024 7:35 am.
Some trails in North Vancouver could remain closed for months as the city determines how to restore the damage from major mid-October storms.
Starting on Oct. 18, an atmospheric river brought record-breaking rainfall, washed out roads, and flooded homes around coastal B.C.
In an announcement Friday, the City of North Vancouver says a trail in Heywood Park has been washed out and sections of its elevated boardwalk damaged. In Mahon Park, several sections of one trail have been lost to stream bank erosion.
The city says both trails will “remain closed for an extended period.”
The city’s Manager of Parks and Natural Spaces, Alexandre Man-Bourdon, tells 1130 NewsRadio that period could be a few months.
“We’re going into the winter season, where it’s difficult to do the repair work consistently. It generally helps to have dry weather to do that work. Some of that will require a bit of engineering to ensure that the reinstatement of the banks doesn’t collapse again in some future event,” said Man-Bourdon.
He says the city has already rebuilt some of the more lightly damaged trails, but adds that it’s delicate work.
“As everyone knows, these areas are fairly difficult to access, so bringing in equipment and materials can be quite challenging. They’re at the bottom of the banks, so we want to make sure that we’re not doing any further damage to the area as we do this work.”
He says there’s a damaged section in Mahon where the risk includes a several-foot fall into the creek.
In both parks, Man-Bourdon says there are other trails that remain open to people hoping to hike for recreation. For those who use the trails as part of their daily commute, he says the city appreciates their patience as they find a detour.
Nearby, the District of North Vancouver has issued a local state of emergency and ordered three properties in Deep Cove evacuated after debris flows from the atmospheric river damaged both Ostler and Panorama creeks.
—With files from David Nadalini
