White Rock celebrates official re-opening of pier
Posted September 21, 2019 5:55 pm.
Last Updated September 21, 2019 9:05 pm.
WHITE ROCK (NEWS 1130) — Almost nine months to the day it was damaged, White Rock celebrated the official re-opening of the pier Saturday.
The White Rock pier has been out of commission since a windstorm destroyed the pier last December.
While people have been able to access the pier since August, Saturday marked the official re-opening. The day kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Darryl Walker and followed with musical performances.
The mayor also announced an official new title for the pier “The Longest Pier in Canada.” It’s 470 metres long.
91km/h winds ripped through the @whiterockcity in December, bringing waves that tore the iconic piece of the city in half. Almost 9 months later to the day, and the pier has been officially reopened. @CityNewsVAN @NEWS1130 @BT_Vancouver pic.twitter.com/CvHePqp05j
— Ashley Grace Burr (@AshleyBurr_) September 21, 2019
Walker says the pier means everything to the city.
“If you take the White Rock itself, and the pier, they’re the iconic pieces people come to White Rock to see,” he says. “People come from all over to have events down here, or just walk down here with their kids.”
Walker remembers his own time growing up around the pier and says it has a generational connection.
RELATED: Person trapped on broken White Rock Pier rescued
Even while the pier was being rebuilt, he says the lack of the pier still drew people in.
“People came down here to see the hole in the pier,” he says. “It’s almost like it wasn’t here, but it was here, and they wanted to see what it looked like.”
It cost $4.4 million to repair damages, but the city is now waiting on funding to renovate the entire pier. Walker says this is dependent on federal and provincial grants, municipal funding, and local fundraising.
“We are probably about nine-million away, but those grants are essential,” he says, adding the total rebuild will cost about $11 million altogether.
“Yahoo!” #WhiteRock Pier is about to officially reopen. @CityNewsVAN @NEWS1130 @BT_Vancouver pic.twitter.com/co6DsuJLtA
— Ashley Grace Burr (@AshleyBurr_) September 21, 2019
He says businesses are starting to do better now too now that the pier is open, though some are doing better than others.
“The strong businesses were able to weather it, some of the others maybe not so much,” he says. “There’s a few closed-up places now, that weren’t before.”
Walker says he and the White Rock Business Improvement Association are working together to offer help to the local businesses.
