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
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.