VANCOUVER – A section of the Stanley Park Seawall has been closed due to a small sandstone slide late Thursday afternoon.
No one was hurt in the slide, which came down between the Lions Gate Bridge and Siwash Rock.
“We’ve had a bit of a sandstorm slump,” said Brian Quinn, manager of park operations for the Vancouver Park Board. “It’s not a really common occurence but we have this every once in a while when we have heavy rains. Sandstone is a very soft material and as a result the water is able to penetrate it.”
“Sandstone is layered somewhat like an onion and so what happens is water will get in behind it and the freezing and thawing will force the layers apart and that’s where we get this kind of activity.”
Quinn said there is always some concern to the public when this kind of event happens, but they always recommend people stay aware of their surroundings when they are on the seawall.
Following geotechnical expert consultation, it was discovered they need to do some rock scaling. The bike path will be closed for the weekend but the pedestrian path will be open.
On Monday at 7 a.m. the seawall will be closed from the Lions Gate Bridge to Siwash Rock for repairs. Scaling is expected to last all day.
In a video posted to YouTube, it shows large portions of the wall have split and fallen to the ground below. Workers from the Vancouver Park Board were called in to secure the site and clean up the debris.
Comments