Major section of a popular North Vancouver trail has permanently closed
Hastings Creek Trail in North Vancouver is having some major changes made this winter, and not all visitors are happy with the planned work.
According to a social media post from the District of North Vancouver, the central section of the Hastings Creek Trail is now permanently closed.
The District acknowledged that the trail is a favourite of local residents, but added that safety is “top priority.”
“The effects of erosion and slope failure can no longer be mitigated,” stated the District of North Vancouver.
“After more than two decades of monitoring, mitigation and seasonal closures, the District has exhausted all safe, practical, and fiscally and environmentally responsible options to keep this portion of the trail open.”
View this post on Instagram
- You might also like:
- Popular Metro Vancouver salmon hatchery is undergoing a $49-million rebuild
- Woman violently assaulted in busy Burnaby park
- Vancouver makes huge jump into top 10 renter destinations in Canada
Hastings Creek is found in the Lynn Valley neighbourhood, and is described by the District as one of North Vancouver’s most important urban watersheds. In addition to being a busy trail system for the community, it also supports salmon populations.
The District blamed a series of storms in recent years for growing trail erosion and the worsening of trail stability.
“The central section of Hastings Creek trail has undergone extensive erosion and repeated slope failures,” the District added. “[There are] serious safety risks and requiring levels of maintenance and financial investment that can no longer be sustained. For these reasons, the trail is now permanently closed.
“The southern section of the trail is currently closed after the failure of a large tree destroyed the bridge. The feasibility of replacing this bridge is uncertain and is currently under review. Staff continue to assess ongoing damage to other areas of the trail resulting from recent weather events.”
In addition to some areas being permanently closed, other planned changes for Hastings Creek include rerouting of the trail, new sections being made, and repairs to pedestrian infrastructure.
District of North Vancouver
According to the District of North Vancouver, independent experts estimated that repairs to the central section of the outdoor trail could tally over $5 million.
“Even after this considerable potential investment, the long‑term feasibility of this trail could not be guaranteed,” said the District.
North Vancouver residents and regular visitors of the Hastings Creek Trail launched a petition calling for a pause in the proposed permanent closure of the central section.
“This is an important trail for the community and a safe walking trail for kids to and from school to Ross Road Elementary for many students, which gets them off the busy Hoskins Road,” said one supporter. “The District needs to consider that by closing this trail, they are removing safe access to a lot of areas.”
“I will 100 per cent be continuing to use this trail regardless if it is fixed or not,” added another signee. “I expect this to be the case for a large majority of frequent travellers of the Hastings Creek trail.
“Extremely disappointing to see this decision not to repair and make it safe for the public again. It just means that safety concerns will continue and likely worsen as trail-goers find a way to get from A to B.”
District of North Vancouver
The District of North Vancouver announced online that while it sees the love that residents have for the Hastings Creek Trail, safety had to come first.
“We understand that this trail has been loved and well-used by the community for generations. Like you, we feel a real sense of sadness about its closure.”