“Injured in Lynn Canyon? 100% not the vibe.”
That is one of the new signs the District of North Vancouver has installed in Lynn Canyon Park to discourage younger generations from cliff jumping.
Younger district staff members came up with the idea of incorporating lingo used by Gen Z and Gen Alpha to reinforce age-old warnings in the park where local rangers and firefighters have been responding to multiple calls for cliff jumpers in distress.
“We’re really trying to be strategic to target Gen Z’s and Gen Alphas to communicate with them in a way that resonates with them,” said Mike Danks, fire chief for the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. “I think that age group between 12 and 22, those are typically the people that we’re seeing getting injured there.”
Signs of the times
“Your friends might cheer. First Responders won’t” and “Spoiler Alert: Your viral jump ends in the hospital” are two other signs placed in the park. Another reads “Real ones keep their friends alive,” all signing off with “Cliff jumping can be deadly” in a yellow text message shaped sign.
At least 40 people have died in in the park over the last 50 years and countless more have needed rescues, the fire chief said.
Last summer a 21-year-old man died after going over the Twin Falls in Lynn Canyon. Fire crews at the time said the man had been under water for at least 20 minutes before being pulled to shore. Five days later, a man was rescued in the same area attempting to cliff jump while intoxicated. In August that year, a 17-year-old male from Windsor, Ont. died after falling from a cliff in the park.
Dangerous conditions
With the high number of visitors and calls, first responders are cautioning parkgoers about the dangers of cliff jumping.
Unstable and slippery slopes, fluctuating water conditions, hidden hazards under the water and currents are some of the potentially deadly risks people can be exposed to, Danks said.
“You have a lot of things working against you,” he said. “You’re immediately immersed into very cold water, which can cause you to gasp, cause you to inhale water, which restricts your breathing.”
Danks speaks from personal experience. As he was making his way to jump from the cliffs as a 17-year-old, he slipped on wet rocks and sliced his hand on a large piece of glass. Years later, he still has a scar. He shares his story to show he's been there too and that "it's not worth it."
“There’s nothing more isolating than being hurt and looking up from the canyon and seeing that there’s no way out for you, and that’s a really scary feeling,” Danks said. “It’s just a perspective that people don’t think about.”
More than half a million people visit Lynn Canyon each year, said Cpl. Mansoor Sahak for North Vancouver RCMP in a post on X. One of the most dangerous forces they can encounter is pressure from friends to do something stupid.
“So we’re asking you, don’t peer pressure any of your friends into doing something dangerous that could cost them their life,” Sahak said in the video.
The fire chief said park rangers are on site to educate visitors on how to enjoy the park safely and the district staffs up when there’s good weather. In the meantime, he hopeful the new signs will find their target audience.
"We're just trying to find a 'cringe' way to really get attention from these individuals, and we really hope this resonates with them," Danks said.
#NorthVan RCMP and @DNVFRS are once again cautioning Lynn Canyon parkgoers about the dangers of cliff jumping. Every year, Police and Fire respond to countless rescues in Lynn Canyon Park. Tragically, there have been more than 40 deaths in Lynn Canyon over the last 50 years. pic.twitter.com/NXDmym78go
— North Vancouver RCMP (@nvanrcmp) July 18, 2025
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.
https://bsky.app/profile/abbyluciano.bsky.social
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