Richmond parks filled with people during long weekend

Warm weather and sunshine was an indulgence many people couldn’t wait to enjoy during the Victoria Day long weekend.

Richmond residents and visitors from other municipalities were seen at Garry Point and Iona Beach parks during the weekend while COVID-19 pandemic restrictions began to loosen.

On Sunday, cars filled the parking lots of both parks with families bringing their children and dogs out for bike rides, walks along the trails and even picnics.

David Lam, a Richmond resident, said he and his family of four couldn’t resist visiting Garry Point Park even though he knew there was a chance it could’ve been crowded.

“Originally we weren’t thinking of visiting Garry Point because we knew many people would come out, but we decided to drive by in the end,” said Lam.

“So far, people have been respecting others’ space and keeping their distance  from what we noticed and it’s quite reassuring to see that everyone is keeping the guidelines in mind.”

Meanwhile, many visitors from other municipalities such as Surrey and Vancouver drove out to Iona Beach Park for a walk on the Iona Jetty – which was operating in a one-way loop.

Sheri Stubel, a Surrey resident, said her family drove out to Richmond hoping to enjoy the sunshine and the loosening restrictions for a walk at Iona.

“The weather was too good to pass up on so we decided to visit Richmond today,” said Stubel.

“People seem to be keeping their distance as much as they can when they see each other and I was surprised and appreciated that they were doing so even when getting in and out of their cars.”