New multilingual signs have been posted in Lynn Valley Provincial Park, warning parkgoers of the dangers of crossing fences and cliff jumping.
District of North Vancouver fire chief Mike Danks says, with a large proportion of deaths and injuries at the park involving newcomers or visitors to the region, the district wants to get the message across in multiple languages.
He says people who aren’t familiar with the region and its parks might watch others partaking in activities like cliff jumping and think it’s easier than it looks.
“People talk about the cliff jumping in Lynn Canyon and unfortunately, for most, they only see successful jumps where people are doing these big jumps, and they’re making it out. But they don’t see the flip side of that one. Sometimes people don’t survive or they’re severely injured. So those are the stories that we want to share,” said Danks.
Last week, a 17-year-old Ontario boy died when he jumped a fence at Lynn Canyon to take photos and the section of cliff where he was standing crumbled into the water.
Danks added a warning to those who did grow up here that knowing the area doesn’t make it safe. He says plenty of locals have also lost their lives in the popular park.
He says he hopes the new signage will catch visitors “off guard” and make them reconsider the danger.
“That’s why we really wanted to make a sign that was very impactful, that told that story. And to augment the signs we have park rangers that are patrolling those areas, that are working with the visitors to educate them on the safe spots that they can go, and to ensure that they stay on trail,” said Danks.
North Shore Rescue (NSR) search manager Paul Markey says the new signage is a “massive step ahead” for what he agrees is an international destination.
He says park rangers and emergency crews are doing everything they can to prevent danger in the park, and NSR hopes the signs’ message will reach more people.
“It’s always terrible for everybody impacted. Obviously, the individual, the friends, the family, anybody who witnesses the incident, it’s extremely traumatizing. So we very much hope the signage is effective and we get a reduction of injuries in that area — rather, it would be great to actually eliminate injuries in that area,” said Markey.
The new signs read “EXTREME DANGER” in eight written languages, including English.