No repairs in sight for shuttered public beach access in affluent Vancouver neighbourhood
It’s been years since beachgoers have been able to take a beloved set of stairs to a stretch of ocean and sand in Vancouver’s Point Grey neighbourhood. While it’s not the only way to get to the water on this mansion-lined stretch, it was considered to be among the most accessible, and the ongoing closure has not gone unnoticed by those who live nearby or the visitors who came to rely on the route.
That’s according to a weathered note pinned behind the metres-high locked fence blocking access to the stairs.
Daily Hive/Claire Fenton
The note reads as an apology or perhaps an appeal to those who are saddened and frustrated by the unexplained closure, imploring and explaining that the power to reopen the path lies in the City’s hands.
“We are sorry you can’t get down the stairs. You’re worried by the trees so high on the cliff. You can’t have one of the only accessible Handydart/car views of the sea. You get trees knocking at you and the hedge as you walk here in winds,” the note reads in part.
Daily Hive/Claire Fenton
“We have been doing everything in our power to ask the City to reassure us and to act to look after this beautiful special loved path cliff and stairs area. We are also waiting for their action. We have been waiting for years.”
Daily Hive/Claire Fenton
“Please ring 311—maybe they will act—please do not ask the [neighbours]. We don’t have any power in this,” the note reads, implying that it was authored by one of the owners of the nearby homes. “We really wish we did.”
The pathway starts at the end of Dunbar Street and Point Grey Road and leads through a paved route to a breathtaking view of the Burrard Inlet.
The path is bordered by massive oceanfront homes. (vanmap1.vancouver.ca)
Visitors could then take the 50 or so steps to descend into a secluded and seemingly untouched shoreline spot bordered by multi-million dollar waterfront properties and a stone’s throw away from the prestigious Vancouver Yacht Club and the historic Hastings Mill Park. At high tides, it’s a pretty wet walk, but at low tides, it’s possible to follow the shore to Jericho Beach or even Kitsilano Beach.
The path tucks behind two homes and connects to Cameron Avenue. It’s several blocks away from BC’s most expensive property, also located on Point Grey Road. (vanmap1.vancouver.ca)
Looking beyond the locked fence, it’s tough to see exactly why. There are no visible signs of any disrepair, and all the stairs and railings appear to be intact. Graffiti has littered many of the spots, perhaps a sign that some have thwarted the prevention measures put in place.
The stairs were open to the public at one time. (vanmap1.vancouver.ca)
Several blocks away, crews are still working to repair the storm and King Tide damaged retaining wall at Kitsilano Pool, which has meant many metres of that walkway have been closed to the public for years.
Crews repairing the boardwalk behind Kitsilano Pool on December 14, 2023. (Daily Hive/Claire Fenton)
However, while repair crews are visibly at work in that stretch, there’s no sign of anyone servicing the pathway at Alma and Dunbar.
More mysteriously, the path isn’t even marked on the City of Vancouver’s website, where other parks along Point Grey Road are clearly listed.
The path is where Cameron and Dunbar connect, but on the map, there is no marking suggesting it is beach accessible. (vanmapp1.vancouver.ca)
Daily Hive contacted the City of Vancouver for more information and confirmed that the path had been closed due to safety concerns.
“The slope supporting the stairs located at 1500 Dunbar St showed signs of localized damage after the strong rain storms of November 2021,” a spokesperson told Daily Hive.
When City crews checked it out, they made a decision to close it in December of that year and have been monitoring the stairs and slope ever since.
Daily Hive/Claire Fenton
“City’s geotechnical consultants are working to better understand the condition of the slope that supports the stairs and develop recommendations for next steps. For safety, the stairs remain closed and should not be used,” they added.
The City said people can use an alternative access point to the beach at Point Grey Road and Waterloo Street, adding that the access by that route is less than 400m away.
The steps were once written about in a poem by a local writer who described the area as his “crab beach” and a delight for kids and adults alike. (vanmap1.vancouver.ca)
But for those who were hoping to see work being done or a possible summer 2024 reopening, they appear to be out of luck.
The closure will be in place until further notice, the City said.
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