Kitsilano beach-goers have had to make detours or climb over a badly broken path for a year.
In early January, 2022, Vancouver was hit with a destructive king tide storm which damaged the Kitsilano Pool and seawall along the beach.
Though the pool has been repaired in time for the summer, the beach path that runs west of the pool to the foot of Trafalgar Street was left as is.
A year later, the path still hasn't been repaired.
One Vancouver local documented the damaged structure over the course of 2022.
Two photos on Facebook show the same stairs on Jun. 19, 2022, and on Jan. 13, 2023. The only difference between the photos is a barrier and a warning sign, seen in the latter photo, blocking access to the collapsed steps.
"I went down the Trafalgar steps to the path for the first time since summer to see if there are any signs the [City] has made an effort to begin fixing the collapsed steps near the western end, or to block the hazards as a lot of people were crossing those in the summer," wrote the local above the photos.
With the English Bay barge finally dismantled and the Stanley Park seawall repaired from a recent storm, residents are wondering when and if the Kitsilano steps will be repaired.
V.I.A. has reached out to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation for a comment.
The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation tells V.I.A. that repairs to the collapsed staircase will eventually be made.
According to a Park Board spokesperson, staff are currently reviewing ways to fix the structure and will share a timeline with local residents once a decision has been made.
"The pathway immediately east of this staircase was also eroded and collapsed as a result of the significant storms in January 2022," the spokesperson notes. "Staff have completed repairs to the pathway and reinforced the shoreline below the pathway to make it more resilient to high tide and storm events. Repairs to the staircase is the next phase of work at this site."
They explain that staff carry out unplanned storm damage repair work in addition to implementing significant projects and regular repair/maintenance work, meaning that the Park Board had to prioritize mending heavily used infrastructure that either provides unique access to the shoreline or a degree of storm damage protection, such as the Stanley Park seawall and the seawall at Kitsilano Pool.
"Shoreline work – in particular work at this location – is complex and time intensive because access to these sites is challenging, there are heightened environmental considerations for working in the intertidal zone, and staff need to work around and within tide, weather and fisheries windows," says the Park Board spokesperson.
