Vancouver beaches littered with trash, alcohol containers following sunny, warm day

The vice-chair of Vancouver's Park Board has vowed to take action after one of the city's most popular stretches of beaches was left strewn with garbage over the weekend.

Brennan Bastyovansky said Saturday's summer-like weather, sunshine and a high temperature of 23 C brought thousands of people out to the waterfront from Sunset Beach to English Bay in the city's West End neighbourhood.

Although he was heartened by the festive atmosphere of people enjoying some of the warmest and sunniest weather of the year so far, he was upset over how messy some people left the area.

"It was incredibly unfortunate that people in our fair city absolutely have zero civic pride and leave their rubbish all over the sand and all over the grass," he said about the food containers, plastic, alcohol containers and boxes.

"I was really heartbroken and disappointed that the people down in English Bay treated it like a toilet."

Tom Digby, a Park Board commissioner with the Green Party of Vancouver, agreed that although many people tried to place garbage in receptacles or close by once they were overflowing, the aftermath was a problem.

"It certainly turned into an epic garbage weekend in Vancouver," said Digby.

Beachgoers posted images of the garbage on social media and complained about the litter spoiling Vancouver's natural beauty. Both Bastyovansky and Digby said they heard complaints about the litter and calls for more to be done.

Digby said he would like to see more people take responsibility for their garbage by taking it home with them. 

"It's not new, and my worry is it's accelerating," he said about Sunday's mess.

Similar trash problems happened in the same area last year in June when a brilliant day of sunshine and warmth followed a long and rainy spring.

At that time, dozens of volunteers went to several beaches across the city to clean up the waste left behind. 

By mid-morning on Sunday this year, much of the mess had also been collected and toted away.

Bastyovansky said he would ask staff to provide adequate garbage receptacles and find ways to have them in place for times when it's predicted that big crowds will visit popular areas, such as those in the West End.

"We need to encourage the Park Board to have additional waste facilities," he said. "We want that festive mood, but we also don't want the hangover in the morning with filthy, gross parks and broken glass everywhere."

This week the Park Board approved amendments to a bylaw that increases the number of parks and beaches where people can consume alcohol to 31.

Sunset Beach and English Bay Beach are not part of the program. Glass containers are also not allowed on beaches. Bastyovansky said extra work is needed at Sunset Beach and in English Bay to ensure glass leftover from Saturday is entirely removed. 

Digby is worried the increased alcohol consumption sites by the Park Board could result in more litter that the city is unprepared to deal with.

Some residents in the West End told CBC News that they want more enforcement by park rangers or Vancouver police over noise, smoking and alcohol consumption where it's not allowed.

Vancouver police acknowledged the large crowds this weekend but said there were no serious incidents.

"We typically deploy our dedicated beach patrol officers later in the spring, and we did not require extra officers to monitor the beaches and parks this weekend," wrote Sgt. Steve Addison in an email to CBC News.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim's ABC Vancouver party, which has a majority on City Council and the Park Board, promised to permanently allow alcohol consumption in parks and on beaches as part of its campaign last September.

At the time, it also committed to keeping parks and beaches clean.