Vancouver Walks Back '2032' Timeline for Seawall Fix, Admits to Poor Communication

After weeks of growing public criticism, the City of Vancouver is clarifying that a popular stretch of the seawall will not be closed for the next seven years — and admits it did a poor job of communicating its plans.

“A bit of poor communication on our part,” said Lon LaClaire, the city’s general manager of engineering services, in an interview with CBC News.
“It’s not going to be 2032. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be much, much quicker than that.”

In early February, the city abruptly shut down a 200-metre section of seawall between Science World and Olympic Village due to safety concerns with its aging wooden pilings. It also closed a broad area of nearby lawn and walkways, rerouting pedestrians and cyclists onto a 400-metre detour through busy Quebec Street — without offering a clear timeline or alternative.

The only detail provided in the city’s public release was that on-site construction would begin “between 2028 and 2032” — a timeline buried in the city’s broader capital infrastructure plan and widely interpreted as the official repair schedule.

That impression stuck — until now.

Limited detour options and no staff reports

When asked why more detailed planning or alternatives weren’t ready, LaClaire said the closure came sooner than expected.

“The original timeline was based on the assumption that the seawall deck would last several more years,” he said. “But once our consultants raised immediate safety concerns, we had to act fast.”

That urgency left little time to develop a proper detour — or to formally brief city council.

A city spokesperson confirmed there were no official staff reports or memos shared with council when the seawall was closed or when the Quebec Street detour was selected.

Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said the lack of transparency was concerning.

“What people want to know is, what’s the plan?” she said. “You can’t just close a beloved public route indefinitely and expect people to be okay with walking around a construction zone for years.”

Detour by summer, full fix sooner than expected

LaClaire now says staff are working to open a safer, more direct path by the start of summer — likely across the lawn next to the existing deck, which has since been assessed and deemed structurally sound for temporary use.

He acknowledged city staff had debated holding off to install a high-quality, paved path — but now recognize the need for speed.

“Do we need to get it in perfect condition to vastly improve what the detour looks like right now?” said LaClaire. “I’m looking to do something sooner — not as good as we want it to be, but sooner.”

He said meetings to finalize that plan are happening this week.

City under pressure to better plan aging infrastructure

Kirby-Yung says the city needs to do a better job of planning for aging infrastructure and ensuring long-term repairs don’t leave the public in the dark.

“Access to the seawall is something that is quintessentially Vancouver,” she said. “We can’t be caught flat-footed again.”

The seawall is one of the city’s most popular amenities, used daily by thousands of cyclists, runners, and walkers. The Science World–Olympic Village section is particularly busy, serving as a key link between East Vancouver and False Creek.

While a full reconstruction timeline has not yet been released, LaClaire emphasized that the city is now prioritizing the project and exploring interim solutions — with updates expected in the coming weeks.