Brae Island Regional Park has been closed to the public until further notice in order to prohibit large gatherings and slow the spread of COVID-19.
Barricades have been installed as of Wednesday, March 25, so no traffic can gain access to the park.
The Jacon Haldi Bridge is completely closed to foot and vehicle traffic, with barricades and a security guard blocking entrance.
The closure is part of a major tightening of Metro Vancouver park allowances. Closures of parking lots at Boundary Bay Regional Park, Deas Island Regional Park, and Delta Heritage Airpark have also had gates shut in recent hours.
All other Metro Vancouver Regional Parks are currently open – including Aldergrove and Campbell Valley Regional Parks – though park facilities such as playgrounds, docks, rental facilities and picnic areas are closed.
“The majority of Metro Vancouver Regional Parks remain open because we understand that spending time in nature is a good way to reduce stress and take care of both your physical and mental health,” said Sav Dhaliwal, Metro Vancouver Board Chair.
“However, all visitors must respect the direction of the Provincial Health Officer and practice physical distancing to mitigate the spread of the virus and prevent further restrictions at regional parks,” he continued.
Metro Vancouver said in a statement that they are committed to protecting the health and safety of park visitors and employees, and will close regional parks where the rules are not being followed.
To ensure Regional Parks remain open, park users are asked to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from others, including parking lots and trail entrances, and also comply with closures of playgrounds, nature play areas and picnic shelters.
READ MORE: Parks Canada to close access to trails
If anyone is sick, they are asked to stay home and not visit a Regional Park until they are well.
As the COVID-19 situation continues to unfold, every one of us must adapt our daily behaviors to reduce the burden on our health care system, said John McEwen, Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Regional Parks Committee.
“Metro Vancouver will continue to monitor and manage visitor behaviour in all of its parks, and will take the necessary action to protect public health and safety throughout the system,” McEwen added. “We are all in this together – everyone needs to do their part to flatten the COVID-19 curve.”
Metro Vancouver’s Regional Parks system consists of 23 regional parks, five greenways, two ecological conservancy areas and two regional park reserves in communities from Bowen Island to Maple Ridge.
People are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest news and updates on regional parks by visiting www.metrovancouver.org.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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