Loud parties, drunken brawls, blaring music, intimidation and speeding vehicles make up this 1980 throwback from the Delta Optimist in 1980.
In a front page story in April that year, Boundary Bay residents, including future mayor George Harvie, demanded action from city council to try and stop shenanigans by drunken partiers using the area of 67th Street and Corbould Road as a parking ground, often preventing residents from getting out of their own driveways.
“Two years ago there was a beach riot,” explained Harvie at the time.
Saying residents were concerned there would be a serious accident, Harvie noted, “We are not trying to stop people from using the beach. If you come down here on a Saturday or Sunday you can see the Canadian side virtually deserted while the American portion is packed with people drinking beer.”
He said that having resident-only parking wouldn’t affect genuine beach goers.
“This is a beautiful, quiet area within a strong sense of community spirit but it’s getting to be unbearable,” Harvie complained.
He added that there were occasional checks by American customs people but the number of partiers involved were so great, customs was virtually powerless to do anything about the problem.
Other residents, saying huge groups would regularly cross the border, feared more “spring and summer madness” in the neighbourhood.
Council agreed to meet with residents to discuss solutions including resident-only parking.
