White Rock pier reopens after backhoe damages it but portion of promenade still closed

The City of White Rock in Metro Vancouver says its historic pier was damaged after a backhoe that was being used to remove a concrete sign base backed onto it on Tuesday.

The city said in a statement that the base was being removed as it prepared to install a commemorative sign for the Canadian Snowbirds, an air force squadron that regularly performs aerial demonstrations.

It is unclear from the city's statement why the backhoe, which was being used to remove the sign next to the pier entrance, backed onto it. CBC News has contacted the city for comment.

While the pier has reopened, the city says a portion of the promenade adjoining the pier remains closed.

"The Promenade will remain closed from Memorial Plaza to Grand Chief Bernard Charles Plaza (Cypress Street) until further notice while interim and long-term solutions are determined," it said in a statement.

The pier opened in 1914 and is the longest of its kind in Canada, extending 470 metres from shore. Adjoining it is a long promenade that runs along the length of the city's waterfront.

In December 2018, a chunk of the pier was shattered as a historic storm ripped boats from their moorings and sent them crashing into the boards. A middle section of the pier collapsed, leaving a 30-metre gap, and part of the promenade was littered with debris.

However, the landmark reopened a little over eight months later in 2019. It closed again in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis and reopened in June of that year.