Park board staff debating if logs should return to Vancouver beaches
The large logs that have lined the water’s edge at many Vancouver beaches have been a favourite lounging spot for sun worshipers for over 50 years.
When the majority of the logs were removed early in the pandemic to encourage physical distancing, the city found the additional space wasn’t the only benefit.
“There was less garbage, less debris,” said Amit Gandha, director of parks for the Vancouver Park Board, who added dangerous items like needles or broken glass would sometimes get tucked under the logs.
They also made it more difficult for larger beach-cleaning machines to sweep the sand.
“If you can imagine, we have a loader, a big machine that has to move every log, and a screener needs to run through there to clean and sift the sand and every log needs to be put back,” said Gandha.
The logs were also at risk of washing farther up onto the shore during king tides.
“Part of having less logs on our beaches reduces the risk of us self-inducing damage to our infrastructure,” said Gandha.
Those benefits have park board staff debating how many logs should be put back. They were first placed on Vancouver beaches in the 1960s by world-renowned landscape architect Cornelia Oberlander, who died last year at the age of 99.
For Vancouverite Jasmine White, the logs were a favourite spot.
“I quite liked them. It’s nice for a beach day, you can go and sit on them and it’s close by the water. Also, it’s iconic Vancouver,” said White, who would like to see all the logs replaced.
Park board commissioner and mayoral candidate John Coupar agrees, arguing: “Some of the iconic things in Vancouver, we need to protect.”
Coupar says he’s heard from people with disabilities who use the logs for support to get up and down from the beach. As for the argument they make maintenance difficult?
“We have been keeping the beaches clean for a long time, and the logs are in straight line, it’s not that difficult of an obstacle course,” said Coupar.
He suggests moving them farther from the water to prevent damage from king tides.
Gandha says all of those arguments will be considered when deciding how many logs will be put back.
“We are still going to have logs on the beaches, we just need to figure out what that number looks like,” said Gandha. “I don’t see it ending up like it was pre-pandemic, but I see a balance between what it looks like now and that point in time.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.