Vancouver's iconic Stanley Park seawall fully open after winter storm damage

Photo: Bernie Steininger

After being officially closed for months, the seawall around Vancouver's Stanley Park is once again open to pedestrians.

After wind and waves badly damaged the walkway in mid-January, parks crews were tasked with repairing the 3.5-kilometre section between Third Beach and Lions Gate Bridge.

“This storm was unlike anything we had seen before, but we know how important the seawall is to our community with millions of visitors who use it every year, so repairing it quickly was of the highest priority for us,” Park Board planning director Dave Hutch said in a press release.

Repairs were hampered by the elements, as high tides and bad weather interrupted work.

Stonemasons have been working to repair the stonework along the wall, retaining walls have been added in some areas, and new capstones have been added. New asphalt has also been laid down to keep the path smooth.

Work is continuing at other sites damaged in the same storm, including Kitsilano Pool and Jericho Pier.

"This extreme weather was another 'wake-up call' on climate change and a look into a future of increased sea level and changing coastlines," says Hutch in the release. "The Park Board will be initiating conversations with residents about how we should plan for this uncertain future and how our waterfront parks, the seawall and beaches will adapt to our changing climate."

“We will need to ask ourselves what we value about our waterfronts and how we can coexist in a world of increasing sea levels and more extreme weather.”