Each month Vancouver journalist John Streit takes a Closer Look
at one of the controversial issues in the news.

PANDEMIC PANDEMONIUM AT ENGLISH BAY BEACH

by John Streit
When Dal Milanovic moved to an apartment building near English Bay beach a few years ago, he thought he'd found the most perfect place in the West End, perhaps even the world.

"The beach was such a beautiful place."

However, he and other West Enders have become concerned with what has been happening at the beach since the start of the pandemic, especially in the evenings.

"I see mostly young drunk people and large groups playing amplified music. You always smell the weed and I can't breathe the fresh air."

He says these people later filter into the West End and often "scream and yell deep into the night." Milanovic adds he is getting tired of this and had never considered moving, until now.

"Honestly, it's getting worse and I don't see anyone trying to control it."

Breaking up the party at English Bay.
(click video and photos to enlarge)

Other long-time West Enders The West End Journal (TWEJ) has spoken with described the situation as “lawless” and do not go to the beach in the evenings anymore for “safety reasons.”

Venture down to the beach on almost any night and you will probably see it for yourself. Open outdoor drinking and drug use on a large scale, often by teens appearing to be underage. People stumbling around drunk or high. Garbage bins overflowing with beer cans and liquor bottles. The sand is littered with discarded containers. Luckily, binners carrying multiple garbage bags move quickly to recycle the seemingly endless empties. Cans are crushed to maximize space in the bags.

An all too common sight at English Bay Beach.

Vancouver Police have become more visible at English Bay in recent weeks. Almost every night at around 10 p.m. three officers on ATV's cruise the sand, politely asking people to leave and many do. This video shot by the TWEJ shows an officer peacefully ending a dance party gathered around a busker, despite the protests of the partiers.

No one appears to be social distancing.

Beaches in Vancouver are officially closed at 10 p.m. But as the officers rumble back up onto Beach Avenue, many people return to the dark sand and the party continues. On one recent evening, the wheelchair accessibility pad extending onto the beach was used as a mini-stage for a band. Some nights at closing time, a pair of unmarked VPD vehicles with flashing lights make their way along the cement path in front of the English Bay Bathhouse and Cactus Club. On occasion, officers on loudspeakers have been heard announcing "it's 10 p.m., the beach is now closed."

Constable Tania Visintin with Vancouver Police looked into service calls at English Bay for the TWEJ and says the numbers are similar to those in 2019.

"Percentage-wise, 2020 has seen increases in assaults and unwanted person calls, but the real numbers are so small that I wouldn’t attach too much meaning to that. I am not aware of any serious crimes."

VPD crime stats show an 83 percent increase in calls to English Bay in April, while May numbers were up 37 percent. June and July numbers were shaping up to be almost the same year-over-year. From May to July 15 of this year, there were 55 disturbance calls to police, 16 calls about suspicious persons, 13 assaults, seven fights and six thefts.

Visintin says the higher May numbers this year could easily be attributed to the fact that the weather was great.

"Bars and restaurants were still closed (due to the pandemic) so people were probably using parks more."

Crime statistics courtesy VPD.

While enforcement is left up to the VPD, our beaches fall under the ultimate control of the Vancouver Park Board. Park Board Commissioner Tricia Barker says she hasn't received any official information about an increase in problems at English Bay.

"I certainly get emails with people not wanting extra noise. And I think it's tougher right now because we are all under a lot of stress, and some of us don't even know it."

Barker says she will ask Park Board staff about English Bay.

Meanwhile, Commissioner John Coupar says don't expect things to change at the beach anytime soon.

"With present park ranger staff levels and inaction of this board on Strathcona Park, there seems little will or capacity to do anything but minimal enforcement." Park Rangers are rarely seen at English Bay Beach.

A. Nancy is an expectant mother who lives near the beach and says she hears yelling and fireworks at night.

“Not wishing to be a killjoy but we have a baby on the way and I am wondering how we will cope when he or she arrives and illegal fireworks are going off at 11 p.m as has been happening. No one is supposed to be in the park after 10 p.m. but there seems to be no policing enforcing it. If they would only come by and break it all up after dark, it would be okay. I do love the West End and am all for people enjoying themselves on the beach during sociable hours.”

Nancy adds she is against treating people like kids and approves of moderate alcohol consumption on the beach.

"As long as those that cause a disruption are removed and possibly fined."

While the Vancouver Park Board is looking at a pilot program for allowing alcohol consumption in portions of 22 city parks, beaches are excluded from the list.

Cultus Lake is one B.C. community that is working to control beach crowding and disorder, especially among young people. The docks on the main beach have been closed until the end of the summer over public health concerns.

But Graham Bingham says noise and crowds in the summer are part of living in the West End.

“It would be a lot worse if our typical major events and level of tourism were happening. Most West Enders look forward to September when we get our ‘hood back.”

John Streit was born, raised and is still a resident of the West End.
He is a writer/producer at City News.