After 60 years of slow but continuous retreat, the District of North Vancouver is drawing a line in the sand at Cates Park/Whey-ah-Wichen.
The shoreline has gradually eroded over the decades, backing up the beach line by as much as five metres, according to District of North Vancouver parks manager Susan Rogers.
"The beach is sort of dead. The sand and all of this actually helps to nurture it," Rogers explained.
Work crews dropped piles of sand and gravel on the shoreline earlier this month as part of an $80,000 project designed to halt the erosion caused by wind and waves, and possibly exacerbated by global climate change.
The weight of the new barrier should prevent significant erosion, according to Rogers.
Erecting a wall of stones was considered and rejected, according to Rogers, who said a riprap solution would sink the spot's popularity and lead to an "unusable beach in the long term."
Work was carried out in early September to take advantage of the low tide during the day.
The work was vital to retain the sandy beach and to preserve a historical site.
"With this loss of the shoreline is a loss of a tremendous cultural resource," Rogers said, discussing the Tsleil-Waututh nation's long history with the land.
Small amounts of sand and gravel will need to be added every 10 years to replenish the beach, according to Rogers.
