this page contributed by Judy Williams, February 2007

Origins of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society

The area now known as Wreck Beach was once peopled by the Musqueam First Nations or People of the Grass. Since the 1800’s the beach has been subjected to impacts from various new human activities.   On January 25, 1977, bulldozing and dredging of the area was started with no public input, and this motivated a small group of beach users to defend the beach.  This action catapulted the beach to fame. The initial group, called Citizens Concerned for Coward's Cove, evolved into the Wreck Beach Committee before legally becoming the Wreck Beach Preservation Society (WBPS) in 1983.

The Society has represented beach interests to all levels of government. It has also served as a liaison body to ease the transition takeover of Pacific Spirit Regional Park by the GVRD from the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation in 1989. The WBPS helped develop the Park Management Plan in 1990 and was a member of the inaugural meeting of the Pacific Spirit Park Society.

Defenders of the Beach

The WBPS has defended the beach against developments such as a seawall, offshore island, beach-to-cliff top condo's, road, and truck bridge that would have seen the beach paved or buried.  The WBPS has also stopped 40 acres of forest removal to put in grassed bicycle paths, a ferry landing which would have required superstructure on the beach, and a massive marina which would have required the excavation of millions of cubic litres of estuary, thus weakening the cliffs.

In 1987, WBPS succeeded in stopping weekly barging past Wreck Beach of millions of gallons of highly-explosive and inflammable jet fuel-A.  Between 2004-2006, the Society persuaded UBC to lower the heights of four towers being constructed far too close to the fragile cliff edge. Over 47,000 signatures from around the world were gathered on a protest petition.

Although the Metro Vancouver dogs off-leash program, which served as a system-wide model for other Metro V parks, was established at the Acadia end of Wreck Beach, the WBPS opposes this location due to the potentially sensitive nature of the surf smelt spawning beds in that area. The impact of dogs or of any other activities on the spawning beds has not been documented.

Beach Infrastructures

One of the recommendations of the park management plan devised by a citizen's task force in 1990 was to place permanent washrooms on the beach. The WBPS went on record then, and again now, as opposing any permanent structures on the beach.  The current washrooms in the Trail 6 area are just above the beach, not on it. WBPS is convinced that the infrastructure necessary to run water and electricity to a full washroom facility would destroy the natural integrity of the area. 

Metro Vancouver has suggested they might consider the building of permanent vending structures with hot and cold running water and electricity on the beach if so required by the health authorities.  The WBPS is on record as opposing any permanent vending facilities on the beach especially since the health authority is willing to consider temporary beach facilities.