End Arbitrary Sunset Beach Closures

A video currently circulating online has sparked outrage across British Columbia. It shows police and enforcement officers clearing peaceful beachgoers from Wreck Beach at sunset while daylight still remains.

For many people, the question is simple:

Why are public beaches being treated the same way as closed parks?

Wreck Beach is not a typical park. It is one of Canada's most significant public beaches and one of the most well-known clothing-optional beaches in North America. For generations, people have gathered here to watch sunsets, socialize, enjoy nature, and experience a level of freedom rarely found in modern public spaces.

Yet today, beach users are increasingly being removed from the shoreline under policies that treat beaches and parks as if they are identical.

They are not.

A beach is a unique public space. People visit beaches specifically to experience sunrise, sunset, open skies, nature, and community. Across the world, beaches remain accessible long after sunset because their purpose and character are fundamentally different from forests, playgrounds, picnic areas, and other park facilities.

Wreck Beach deserves a policy framework that recognizes this reality.

At the same time, many long-time users have watched as changes to the beach have reduced privacy, altered the character of the shoreline, and increased enforcement without clear evidence that these measures have improved public safety.

Large driftwood structures that once provided privacy, shade, wind protection, and natural gathering spaces have been removed. Community members continue to question whether these decisions, along with increasing enforcement activity, are supported by meaningful public consultation or transparent evidence.

This petition is not about opposing reasonable public safety measures.

It is about ensuring that public policy is transparent, evidence-based, and appropriate for the unique environment it governs.

We believe Wreck Beach should be treated as a beach, not simply as another park subject to blanket rules.

We Call Upon Metro Vancouver and Relevant Authorities To: 1. End Sunset Sweeps of Peaceful Beach Users

Stop the removal of peaceful beachgoers absent a clear and demonstrated public safety concern.

2. Create a Separate Policy Framework for Beaches

Recognize beaches as a distinct category of public space with policies that reflect their unique character, traditional uses, and public expectations.

3. Conduct Meaningful Public Consultation

Consult directly with beach users, community organizations, and local stakeholders before implementing policies that affect access, privacy, or use of the beach.

4. Restore and Protect Privacy

Work with the community to identify practical solutions that improve privacy and preserve the character of Wreck Beach.

5. Release the Evidence Behind Current Policies

Publicly release the studies, risk assessments, incident data, consultation records, and decision-making documents used to justify sunset enforcement, privacy-reducing measures, and other restrictions affecting Wreck Beach.

Take Action

If you believe public beaches should remain accessible to the public...

If you believe government policies should be evidence-based...

If you believe communities deserve meaningful consultation before major changes are imposed...

If you believe public spaces should reflect the needs of the people who use them...

Sign this petition.

Share it.

Contact Metro Vancouver.

Ask for transparency.

Ask for accountability.

Ask for a beach policy that recognizes beaches as unique public spaces.

Wreck Beach has been protected by its community for generations.

Now it is time for that community to be heard.