Lions Bay closes access to local hiking trails over wildfire concerns
Caution tape surrounds the parking lot outside the trailhead to Tunnel Bluffs Friday morning.
The mayor and council for the Village of Lions Bay voted to close the access points to all local hiking trails Thursday afternoon, citing wildfire concerns.
“The risk right now is just simply not worth it for that community, the residents and the visitors,” Acting Mayor Jamie Cunliffe told CTV News.
Given the proximity to homes in the area, Cunliffe said a fire along the trails could quickly threaten private property in the community.
“It would happen to be, you know, a few hundred meters from people's homes,” she explained.
Cunliffe said unlike other municipalities, Lions Bay relies on its own watershed as a water source – and due to a shortage, the village is on the cusp of introducing even stricter water restrictions.
“So having to use that valuable resource to put out a fire is going to be very detrimental to the community,” she said, adding that a fire in the watershed would be “devastating.”
The acting mayor said there have been a handful of fires in and around the village, all believed to be human-caused, and officials are doing all they can to mitigate the risk.
COMMUNITY NOT SHUNNING OUTSIDERS, MAYOR SAYS
During the height of the pandemic, parking was severely limited to the beaches in Lions Bay, leaving many visitors feeling like the village was intentionally keeping them out.
But Cunliffe said that is not what’s happening here.
“The objective here is not to cut off public access,” she said.
Some village residents told CTV News they are skeptical because they have also been asking for permits to trim trees to mitigate the fire risk, but those have all been denied.
The acting mayor reiterated the decision is not a political one, but a safety measure.
“It's 100 per cent about fire safety. And when it comes to tree trimming, we do have a permitting system and during songbird nesting season we do not allow trimming on public trees,” she said.
Cunliffe said the closure of trail access is only temporary and they will continue to monitor the situation to see when they can be reopened to the public.
Correction
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the acting mayor's surname. It is Cunliffe.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
PWHL Minnesota defeats Boston to win inaugural Walter Cup
Minnesota won the inaugural championship of the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Wednesday night, getting 17 saves from Nicole Hensley to beat Boston 3-0 in a winner-take-all Game 5 and claim the Walter Cup.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
Oilers rally to beat Stars, tie Western Conference Final
With the Edmonton Oilers down two goals late in the first period of Game 4, Rogers Place was quiet, fans seemingly bewildered at the early, quick scoring of the Dallas Stars and the slow start by the home team. Ryan McLeod's marker with six-and-a-half minutes in the opening frame left changed all that.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
'Targeted again': Montreal police investigate after gunshot fired at Jewish school
Police are investigating another building in Montreal's community was struck by gunfire.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.