A redesigned staircase is now greeting visitors to PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park) beach in Saanich, providing safer access to the coastline.
The new stairs at the west approach to the Saanich beach were designed with wood rather than concrete — a more flexible, lower-impact material, the district says.
Construction started last October and recently wrapped up. In late summer 2022, crews closed the stairs to visitors amid public safety concerns sparked by cracking concrete and the lower section falling into the ocean.
RELATED: PKOLS: Mount Douglas Park to be restored to its historical name
“We’re excited to reopen this access point to one of the most beautiful beaches in Saanich,” said Paul de Greeff, manager of parks planning and development, in a release. “In addition to maintaining public safety, these new stairs will help minimize impacts on the surrounding environment.”
The staircase was also constructed with “Green Shores principles,” including “integrating with beach processes, revegetation and erosion control,” reads the release.
Visitors are reminded to use caution when accessing the beach, “as it remains a rough, natural landscape with obstacles and hazards typical to this landscape type,” adds the district.
Saanich has more information about ongoing park construction projects on its website.
The redesigned staircase at the west approach to PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park) beach is now open to the public.
The new staircase was constructed with Green Shores principles, such as integrating with beach processes, revegetation and erosion control. https://t.co/ndLpEl0Q2G pic.twitter.com/n1njMm90n0
— District of Saanich (@saanich) February 2, 2023
Ethan Morneau
