Assessing storm damage on seawall, piers to take weeks: Vancouver Park Board

Vancouver -

The Vancouver Park Board says it will take weeks to fully assess the damage sustained by parts of the seawall and the piers at Vanier Park and Jericho Beach during last week’s windstorm and king tide event.

Sections of the seawall from Sunset Beach to the area around the Lions Gate Bridge remain closed to the public because of large chunks of broken and displaced concrete.

Piles of debris, including large logs, also litter sections of the popular seaside walking and cycling path.

The piers at Vanier Park and Jericho Beach were also badly damaged by the high water and pieces of large debris that washed over them.

"It will be a few weeks before we can confirm how much time this is going to take. We've been out ever since the storm happened. One of the things that we are very mindful of is that there are more king tides coming,” said Ian Stewart, manager of park development. “So right now, our teams are focused on mitigating the effects of the king tides that are coming in the next few weeks. We are removing logs and large debris."

The park board has been fundraising for years to secure enough money for a full rebuild of Jericho Pier to make it more accessible.

The design for that project calls for a floating dock to accommodate sea-level rise and the effects of a changing climate.

“That would be a much more resilient design that should be able to withstand these storms,” Stewart said. “But again, we do not currently have the funding to implement those changes.”

It’s not yet clear if the pier can be repaired to a usable state so it can re-open in the short term, or if it will have to remain closed until the funding is in place for a complete rebuild.

Stewart also said the sections of the seawall that sustained damage are older -- and recently refurbished sections fared much better in last week’s storm.

The park board is urging people to respect closure signs, saying the areas around the seawall and damaged piers are not safe right now – especially the large piles of logs which could shift if people climb on them.