White Rock residents clean up after devastating storm
The pier remains closed off and could take months to rebuild
Residents in White Rock, B.C. joined city crews at the city's beach Saturday to help clean up in the aftermath of a powerful storm.
Boats and debris were scattered along the shore at White Rock beach following Thursday's storm that destroyed parts of the community's beloved pier.
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Most of the boats that slammed into the pier and shore are owned by members of the Lower Mainland Yacht Co-op
On Saturday, John Mitchell worked to dismantle a boat named the White Swan, which had been moored at the end of the pier along with others.
"It swung around and the boats were adrift, and eventually it punched a hole through the pier, and now they've ended up on shore," Mitchell said.
Yacht co-op members salvaged rope, life jackets, and one six-metre mast. The city dispatched trucks to collect other debris, while onlookers helped out.
The pier remains closed off and could take months to rebuild. Train tracks along the shore also needed repairs.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSA</a>: Please do not, under any circumstances, go near, under or beside the Pier. There structure is not safe. This is for your own good, the protection of the people in our community, our first responder and City crews. We cannot stress this enough. <a href="https://t.co/NhDjNwnzCy">pic.twitter.com/NhDjNwnzCy</a>
—@whiterockcityCity staff are urging people to stay away from sections of the promenade.
For Lynda Honing, the hole in the pier has left a hole in her heart as her great, great grandfather helped build the century-old landmark.
"People walk the pier every day," Honing said. "It's part of peoples' lifestyle, it's part of their morning routine, it's their walk, it's their run, it's where people get proposed to, they have the dinners out here. It is our community."
With files from Jon Hernandez.