British Columbia’s Golden Ears Park is closed due to damage to the Atmospheric River

A popular park in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland remains closed due to damage from an atmospheric fluvial weather system that inundated the province’s southern coast, causing landslides and localized flooding that killed three people.

The Department of Environmental Protection says the storm, which swept through the region for three days starting Oct. 18, left a trail of destruction in Golden Ears Provincial Park, north of Maple Ridge.

The ministry said in a statement that the province hopes to reopen part of the park this fall, but the exact timing is not yet known.

It said park officials are working with engineers to assess the damage, with an immediate focus on clearing clogged culverts and repairing roads.

Nearby Coquitlam was one of the hardest hit areas as the storm surge dumped more than 250 millimeters of rain on the community that weekend.

A message posted on the park’s website after the storm said the park was “closed until further notice.”

The ministry suggests that everyone who wants to visit the park check the Golden Ears website for updates.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on October 31, 2024.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press