White Rock Pier officially reopens nine months after devastating storm

White Rock’s iconic pier was officially reopened with a public ceremony on Saturday.

The event, which kicked off at noon, featured live music, food and information about the century-old structure’s history.

“Here we are in White Rock, how many months, nine, 10 months after they took our pier away and we’ve all ganged together and we put it back together and we’re all here to celebrate. Yahoo!” said White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker.

“On the 20th of December it was damaged, some said beyond repair. Not so. We knew immediately that the people of this community, both South Surrey and White Rock would not have it.”

The pier was partially reopened in late August after suffering major damage in a destructive windstorm last December.

Winds of up to 91 kilometres per hour sent sailboats crashing into the structure, severing it mid-span and forcing a helicopter rescue of one man trapped on the other side.

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WATCH (Aug. 27, 2019): Iconic White Rock pier partially re-opens

1:45 Iconic White Rock pier partially re-opens

Repairs to the structure, including fixing the 30-metre gap in the pier, cost the city an estimated $4 million.

White Rock is working to secure an additional $11 million to complete the pier and buttress it to withstand future storms and the effects of climate change.

The city is hoping some of that will come from provincial and federal grants, while fundraising efforts, such as a chance to buy planks salvaged from the old pier, are hoping to raise about $2 million.

READ MORE: Man rescued from partially collapsed White Rock pier

The closure of the pier for most of the summer season has been stressful for White Rock’s seaside businesses, and the city says it is also looking at ways to help support them.

The 470-metre pier was originally built in 1914-1915 and restored in 1977. The city says it is the longest pier in Canada.