Vanier Dirt Jumps - Bike Park Access in Jeopardy

huh!  It might be making a difference!  If anyone here sent emails, thanks!  If not, get on it.

emails sent. Thanks for the heads up

fyi: 

McLeod, Joe

3:40 PM (48 minutes ago)

to Joe

Good Afternoon,

Thanks for your passionate email to Park Board Commissioners and the General Manager about the proposed Vanier Bike Park extension (pump track). I am responding on their behalf to let you know that we have not canceled this project. We are recommending that we give more fulsome time for community engagement and review concerns recently raised about eagle habitat. Please know that we care very much about this project as we do about wildlife and the environment.

Thank you again for your email and support for this project.

Kindly

Joe

---

Joe McLeod - Landscape Architect Project Manager

BCSLA, ISA Certified Arborist, TRAQ, FIT, LEED-AP

Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation | 2099 Beach Avenue | Vancouver, BC | V6G-1Z4

tel.: (604) 257-8474 | mail.: [email protected]

Right.   "More fulsome time".  It's been years.   

More time means a delay until the eagles move back and then we're hooped again.

Big PB meeting on Monday evening.  (I'd say we're sitting at a 50/50 shot now...)

Thanks for sending the emails!

Hey Tim, you have an extra "i" in tina mack's email address.

here's the letter I just sent off:

Hi all,

I was recently informed that the planned expansion and upgrades to the Vanier Park Bicycle Skills Track has been put on hold and may be in jeopardy of being cancelled due to actions undertaken by some local wildlife enthusiasts. One of the things that's great about Vancouver is the abundance of nature we have at our doorstep compared to many large cities. Having access to nature is an important component of quality of life and research has shown that having access to nature experiences ''provide many mental-health benefits, particularly for people living in urban areas." (Doses of Neighborhood Nature: The Benefits for Mental Health of Living with Nature, Cox et al. Bioscience. Feb 2017. Vol 67 Issue 2. p147-155).

Being so close to the core of the city, Vanier Park and the Bicycle Skills Track provide an unique opportunity to the residents of Vancouver and its surrounding areas to enjoy nature and more importantly participate in recreation activities within nature itself. Another key factor of this park being so close to the urban core of the city is the ability for people to access the park without needing to use vehicular transportation to get there. People from all across the downtown core, False Creek South, Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano and other neighborhoods can bicycle to the skills park to make use of its amenities. This is in direct alignment with the City of Vancouver's Greenest City Action Plan which includes Vibrant and Inclusive Neighborhoods.

It should go without saying that the inclusion of native wildlife species and their habitat is also a key component of experiencing nature and making Vancouver a green city. Unfortunately over the course of this summer an eagle's nest within the park fell down due to natural causes. In an effort to encourage the eagles to re-nest in the area, some wildlife enthusiasts have artificially rebuilt the nest in a manner that apparently attempts to dissuade any further work on it. According to the Hancock Wildlife Foundation what is most important for eagles is their nesting territory and relative lack of disturbance from human interference. Eagles also typically have multiple nesting sites in the same territory and do not always use the same nest every year. So while the actions of the wildlife enthusiasts to artificially rebuild the nest may have been done with the best intentions, by artificially rebuilding it in a less than opportune location the wildlife association may have actually caused more harm than benefit. The treed area in the park contains numerous opportune locations for the eagles to rebuild their nest that is within their territory and well away from any of the many human disturbances within the boundaries of the park. In respecting nature, we should allow nature to do what's best for itself and this includes letting the eagles rebuild their own nest in a location they feel is best.

Nature, wildlife and human activity can all coexist together, and this coexistence greatly benefits the quality of life that the people of Vancouver have come to respect and appreciate. I believe that the information available would suggest that the best course of action is to get the scheduled work completed as soon as possible to avoid any disruption to nesting season which typically happens in February and to allow the eagles to decide for themselves how best to accommodate their nesting needs.

Thanks, that's perfect.  Amazing actually.

Naw, Tiina has two "i"s.

So the City got a ton of emails in support of the bike park, which is good because it really got their attention.

Being the City, they came up with a few options for a path forward, and aren't really acting on any of them too quickly.  (If they are, they aren't telling anyone!)

We had a fun jam down there last weekend.  In this clip, almost every cut is a different rider--a wide range of ages and skill levels:

Vanier End of Summer 2018

Hey Tim.  I sent a second note a couple weeks ago as I hadn't heard anything.  I got the following response today.  Sounds like another year of waiting, huh?

Thanks for your support for this initiative, we remain committed to the project and will continue working to find a solution that balances recreation and wildlife management within Vanier Park. We will work directly with stakeholders, including the Vancouver Dirt Jump Coalition and Hancock Wildlife Foundation, to evolve a solution that works for all parties. 

Due to the nesting habits of bald eagles, we will be respecting the nesting area for the 2019 nesting season which will allow us the time necessary to get this right.

Pump track is being built right now.  Joyride bike parks.  I never thought I would see the day.  The rest of the park (jumps) are mint condition* right now.  Water before and after you ride.

*well, almost.  Is it ever really finished?

Pump track looks like it’s pretty close to done! The jumps are super tough, had a bit of brake rub and was just barely making the middle line. I’ll tune things up and give it a go again once there’s sun in the forecast again. Hopefully the pump track will be done then too

Just checking in here... that pump track got built by Joyride, and is super fast.  Dirt firmed up hard as a rock.

The jumps are mint.  Some guys from Kush trails (RIP) did some digging this summer so the big set is more bmx-like.  The place is busier than ever due to all organized sports being cancelled.

The City chopped down the eagles' nest tree last fall.  This year the eagles came back and built a new nest right in the middle of pump track.  Raised 2 healthy chicks.  Life is good.