All three North Shore municipalities are closing down their playgrounds and warning parents to keep groups of kids apart, over fears of spreading COVID-19.
BC Parks, meanwhile, has curtailed access to Mount Seymour Provincial Park and Cypress Provincial Park. While the day use facilities are still open to the public, parks staff have closed off the entrance roads and parking lots. Only the trailheads at lower elevations remain open.
The District of North Vancouver was the first to announce the closures on Friday morning. The district’ sports fields will also be closed for already scheduled games and practices but will be available for casual use.
Parks and trails in DNV otherwise remain open, but the district is reminding users to maintain social distance and stay at least two metres apart.
The one exception will be for the popular Quarry Rock, where district staff will be restricting access to prevent crowds from forming. Park rangers will be on the trail for enforcement.
The City of North Vancouver issued a statement just before noon Friday that carried a similar message.
“For the safety of our community, particularly children, the city has closed all playgrounds to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19,” it read. “We encourage residents to continue to enjoy our parks, trails and waterfront, while also maintaining a social distance.”
And on Friday morning, the District of West Vancouver put into effect a temporary ban on playground, basketball court and skate park use.
“Social distancing is not an option. Every British Columbian must do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19,” a message from West Vancouver staff read.
In a message posted to Twitter, Coun. Craig Cameron said it was a tough but necessary choice.
“It’s unfortunate we had to take this step. If more people don’t use common sense, we are headed towards a full lockdown like Lombardy or San Francisco, though nobody wants to go there,” he said.
