Stanley Park seawall reopens to public after completion of winter storm damage repairs

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation announced the reopening of the final section of the Stanley Park seawall on Wednesday.

A 3.5 kilometres stretch of the popular Vancouver attraction between Third Beach and the Lions Gate Bridge hadbeen closed to the public since Jan. 7, when extreme winds and large amounts of debris tossed ashore by a king tide that day damaged the century old public amenity.

According to a park board statement, crews have been working tirelessly to reopen it so residents and visitors can enjoy the pathway in time for the warmer months.

"This storm was unlike anything we had seen before, but we know how important the seawall is to our community with millions of visitors who use it every year, so repairing it quickly was of the highest priority for us," wroteDave Hutch, director of park planning and development.

He added that access to parts of the seawall was sometimes difficult, weather-dependentand required careful timing as additional king tides affected the area.

The park board said itsapproach has been to repair the damage "in-situ" and add reinforcementwhere possible, includingthe use oflock blocks to create retaining walls in areas where the seawall collapsed.

The park board cautions that because theseawall is continuallyexposed to the elements and extreme weather, visitors should be aware that minor repairs areongoing but will not impact access to the pathway.

Kits Pool, Jericho Pier

With this final sectionreopened, staff can now focus their attention on the important work of repairingKitsilano Pool, Jericho Pier and other areas damaged bystorms, it added.

"Climate change is making storm events like those in November 2021 and January 2022 more frequent and severe," wrote Hutch.

"This extreme weather was another wake-up call [...]and a look into a future of increased sea levels and changing coastlines," he said.

The park board said it will be initiating conversations with residents about how itshould plan for this uncertain future, and how the city's waterfront parks, the seawall and beaches will adapt to the changing climate.