Metro Vancouver has closed both of its regional parks in Delta.
After Mayor George Harvie wrote to the Metro Vancouver board on Wednesday asking for the parks to be closed ahead of the Easter long weekend, Metro made the decision to close Deas Island Regional Park and Boundary Bay Regional Park until further notice.
These two closures joins Barnston Island Regional Park and Brae Island Regional Park. Additionally, the parking lots at Lynn Headwaters Regional Park and the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve will be shut during the long weekend.
All other Metro Vancouver Regional Parks remain open, although park facilities such as playgrounds, docks, rental facilities and picnic areas are closed.
“Metro Vancouver is asking residents to follow the guidance of the Provincial Health Officer and stay close to home this long weekend,” said Metro in a news release. “Despite great weather in the forecast, visitors are encouraged to choose parks in their own neighbourhood and not travel further afield to popular destinations such as Bowen Island or Belcarra Regional Park.”
Metro Vancouver has taken additional measures by increasing staffing and posting over 300 signs to remind people to keep their distance from each other.
During Thursday’s virtual town hall meeting, Harvie, Delta police Chief Neil Dubord and city manager Sean McGill talked about their plans to get the message out and additional enforcement measures for this weekend and beyond.
Dubord said police have a plan in place and will work closely with Delta’s engineering department when people come to Boundary Bay Park and Deas Island and find the gates closed.
“Not everyone is on social media or goes to the websites. They may travel with their families to try and get into the park,” said Dubord. “What we will have is at the corner of 3rd Ave. and Boundary Bay Road is a traffic safety person to be able to help us flag and a Delta police officer to ensure that anyone entering the village of Boundary Bay are local residents. We hope that will be the first line. There will also be educational signs out of Highway 17 put out by engineering that will say the parks are closed and local traffic only. There will be other signs as well. So we will sign it well, assign police officers there and work with engineering on other issues as they arise.”
McGill said Delta has been and continues to work on long-term solutions to address park overcrowding and the issues that the area experienced last summer.
“This was in place before the pandemic hit – they was community consultation. Unfortunately that can’t continue, but we still have to move forward on a longer term solution for the future,” said McGill.
