Metro Vancouver parks staff want greater police presence at Wreck Beach
Vancouver’s only nude beach could see more police this summer.
According to a report from Metro Vancouver parks staff, Wreck Beach, located near the University of British Columbia, has a “noticeable absence of a regular police presence which has posed challenges in responding to incidents involving drugs and alcohol and in closing the beach at night.”
The report, authored by Paul Brar, a division manager for Metro Vancouver Regional Parks, is asking the UBC RCMP detachment for additional patrols. Brar said staff are trying to be “proactive” in preparing for the anticipated busy season.
“When there's really big crowds, there’s a high correlation of incidents that occur,” he said.
Brar said those incidents can include altercations between beachgoers.
Emergency calls to Wreck Beach in 2022 were among the lowest they’d ever been with 61 calls. The previous year saw 178 calls while 2020 saw 120. Parks staff attributes the lower volume of calls in 2022 to cooler temperatures during the peak summer months.
The report also outlines fires as a concern as the beach is only accessible by a steep path with 500 stairs which can be challenging for first responders to get to when there is an emergency.
In terms of addressing emergency incidents, the B.C. Ambulance Service has offered to provide naloxone kits and training to Wreck Beach vendors to reduce the harm and deaths associated with opioid overdoses.
Staff say the beach’s popularity has grown each year. In 2022, there were more than 838,000 visitors, and over the past five years, the number of visits to Wreck Beach have grown by 44 per cent.
According to the report, B.C.'s attorney general established Wreck Beach as a clothing optional area in 1983.
It will be presented to staff on Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
LIVE @ 1:15 PT B.C. premier to give announcement related to public drug use
B.C.'s premier is scheduled to give an update Friday about public drug use in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.