White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker says it will cost an estimated $4.2 million to fix the damage in Ruth Johnson Park and the Coldicutt Ravine after a January rainstorm.
“The trees were coming down and being swept away,” said Walker. “In some cases even taking away the steps that people use to come and go from.”
He says the Coldicutt Ravine is closed indefinitely, and two sections of Ruth Johnson Park remain closed due to the damage.
“It is a beautiful area that you can get off the beaten track and probably lose the noise of the world,” said Walker. “It really is a local treasure.”
The city hired Abbotsford ‘s GeoWest Engineering Ltd. to assess the ravine and park damage.
GeoWest reported multiple slope failures, sunken stairs and walkways and erosion in both locations. According to the city, conditions on the east ravine are considered treacherous.
Repairs are already underway in Ruth Johnson Park and further detailed assessment is being carried out in the Coldicutt Ravine.
The city has now applied to the B.C. Disaster Financial Assistance program.
“People may think we’re asking for too much,” said Walker. “I think we’re just asking for what is rightfully ours or any community that had this kind of damage done to them.”
The province gave the city a $1 million last year to help fix the iconic White Rock pier, an estimated $16-million project.
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