While the October atmospheric river has passed, cleanup hasn’t.
City of North Vancouver council unanimously endorsed an estimated $4.3 million plan last week detailing projects to help repair and restore some of the municipality’s parks and creeks damaged during last year’s atmospheric river.
Recording-breaking rains flooded Metro Vancouver near the end of October of 2024, with 344 millimeters recorded over three days in North Vancouver. The rainstorm caused dozens of home and business owners to evacuate or shut down.
During the storm, the city faced temporary service disruptions and infrastructure damage, including localized flooding and significant creek erosion, a staff report reads. Following the storm city staff completed damage assessments to document impacts and develop a repair and restoration plan.
“Our system did not have the ability to keep up, and we saw significant overland flow,” a staff member said during the March 10 council meeting.
The city is now planning three repair and restoration projects for Thain and Mosquito creeks as well as Mahon and Heywood parks.
Stabilizing the slope in Thain Creek, a steam flowing into Mosquito Creek, will protect nearby properties and prevent further erosion, according to the staff report. Thain Creek faced severe bank erosion near residential complex Cypress Gardens due to high water flows, the report said. The erosion toppled trees and caused slope regression, increasing instability and nearby homes at risk. Estimated cost of the project is $2.9 million, with work expected to begin in the early summer.
Staff will also look into reducing sediment near Marine Drive bridge on Mosquito Creek, which will cost just under $1 million. They noted the atmospheric river placed a huge amount of sediment, raising the stream bed by more than 40 centimetres near the bridge. A study will be conducted to develop a strategy on a plan and future prevention, with construction plans in 2026.
Park trail repairs and creek restoration for Mahon and Heywood parks will also be in the works. Heavy rains caused trails to erode and undermine footbridges, restricting public access. Restoration plans are estimated to cost half a million and will include trail regrading, bank stabilization and reconstructing public trails to withstand future storms.
Funds will come from sewer and drainage reserves and prior surpluses to avoid changing a drainage levy in the original budget previously approved in November 2024.
To reduce financial burden, the city is applying for the provincial Disaster Financial Assistance funding while also looking into grant options.
Council unanimously gave staff the thumbs up to go ahead with the plan and transfer funds, but a councillor did raise questions on the cost.
Coun. Don Bell said the cost of the three projects is substantial, and extreme weather events will be more frequent with climate change. He asked if staff are looking into future budget cost implications of other extreme weather events as they come up.
“If this is a trend that we’re seeing worldwide or certainty in the general area, that’s something that we need to then consider – those unanticipated costs need to be projected, planned for because $4 million is a lot of money to suddenly say ‘We had one event, and that’s what it costs us,’” Bell said.
Staff said the city’s approach is to add extreme weather reserves into utilities and other budgets during financial plan drafts, adding that they will take Bell's suggestion into consideration in future budgets.
Mayor Linda Buchanan said she hopes the plan will be an investment in making structures last during intense weather events and making the creek system healthier.
“Any time an atmospheric river happens or extreme weather events, we don’t know what the outcome is going to be, but we hope that the investment we’re putting in for certain things can be sustained or maintained moving forward,” Buchanan said.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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