Monday, January 31, 2005After meeting with Geotechnical Consultants this weekend, District staff have
decided there will likely be a phased lifting of the current evacuation. The
District is optimistic that ‘phase one’ will see some evacuees return home mid
to late this week. The North Shore Emergency Social Services (ESS) will advise
these residents directly once confirmation from the District has been received.
Meanwhile, ESS is still actively providing services to evacuees as required.
In the meantime, as part of the District’s ongoing communication efforts, Chief
Administrative Officer James Ridge and other senior staff hope to meet with
evacuated residents mid week to offer further updates and answer any questions.
ESS will contact residents with details of the meeting.
During the weekend, James Ridge and ESS representatives visited the Holiday Inn
to informally meet with residents and provide updates and services. As well,
Jozsef Dioszeghy, the District’s Director of Environment, Parks & Engineering
Services, went door to door to deliver a ‘comfort’ letter to some
of the* residents who have
since returned to their homes. This letter provides information on engineering
work done to date, and assurance that the site surrounding the resident’s home
is safe.
The District’s Forensic Consultants continued this past weekend with the survey
and data collection required for the forensic investigation. This preliminary
stage includes photos, measurements, soil samples, and aerial views of the site.
Once the data collection is complete, the Forensic Experts will be able to begin
construction of a computer model, which will hopefully identify the cause of the
landslide. District crews, meanwhile, focused on emergency drainage construction
at the toe of the slide area. This work will continue through the first half of
this week. The employees report that they are making good progress.
It’s important for residents to know that when rain does occur, District
employees monitor slopes and other grounds throughout the District, and continue
to monitor all rainfall patterns.
We thank residents for their continued patience and understanding as we work to
return them to their homes. Your safety remains our first priority.
The District remains committed to providing information as progress continues
and will post daily updates on the web site. In addition, the District has
established a Public Information Line (604-990-2311) and e-mail address
(landslide@dnv.org) in order to respond to queries. |
Friday, January 28, 2005Construction crews continue working on drainage improvements in the slide area. This includes rerouting the 'natural water courses' that were disrupted during the slide. Crews are also working on a basin at the bottom of the slide area to catch further run-off. At the top of the slide area, crews are carrying out foundation and roof drainage inspections and are implementing temporary measures, where possible, to redirect the water to the storm sewer system. This is in order to reduce the water penetration on the slope and as a preventative measure in the event of further rain. This work will be carried out throughout the weekend. District arborists remain on site today, checking for at-risk trees. Geo technical experts continue with the forensic inspection of the slide area. They are currently in the preliminary information gathering stage which includes collecting soil samples. The District's goal is to return evacuees to their homes as quickly as possible. However, our top priority continues to be the safety and security of our residents. We appreciate the community's patience and understanding as we work towards this goal. We are optimistic that evacuated residents may be able to return home later next week; however that will depend on inspection results, the consultant's investigation and the weather. The District remains committed to providing information as progress continues and will post daily updates and Frequently Asked Questions on the web site (http://www.dnv.org/). In addition, the District has established a Public Information Line (604-990-2311 – which will begin operation on Monday morning) and e-mail address (landslide@dnv.org) in order to respond to queries. |
Thursday, January 27, 2005Work continues at the landslide site. Debris removal is almost complete and arborists continue to examine and remove at-risk trees. Crews have started storm water run-off management. Structural engineers continue to examine properties damaged in the slide and building and plumbing inspectors are working with homeowners above the slope to address rainwater drainage concerns. The forensic site investigation has started into the cause of the slide. The investigation is currently at the 'information-gathering' stage. The District’s goal is to return evacuees to their homes as quickly as possible. However, our top priority continues to be the safety and security of our residents. We appreciate the community's patience and understanding as we work towards this goal. The District remains committed to providing information as progress continues and will post daily updates on the web site (http://www.dnv.org/). In addition, the District will be establishing a Public Information Line and e-mail address in order to respond to queries. This information will be posted on the District’s website shortly along with a listing of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). |
Wednesday, January 26, 2005The District of North Vancouver yesterday advised the evacuees of 17 homes on Riverside and Swinburne Avenues that they could return to their homes. Residents of the 20 homes at the landslide site remain on evacuation order. These homes are on portions of Chapman Way, Treetop Lane and Berkley. The District remains committed to providing information as progress continues and will post daily updates on the web site (http://www.dnv.org/). In addition to this, a number of meetings have been held with area residents. The District's Chief Administrative Officer, James Ridge and other staff, met with evacuees last night to provide an update and to answer questions. District staff also attended a local Community Association meeting to provide information to other residents in the affected area. Meanwhile, work continues at the landslide site. Debris removal is ongoing and crews are attending to drainage on the slope. Drainage inspection is being carried out in the area. Survey and geotechnical crews will also be conducting a forensic study to help determine what caused the slide. Current rainfall is expected to be light. The District's goal is to return evacuees to their homes as quickly as possible. However, our top priority continues to be the safety and security of our residents. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding as we work towards this goal. |
Tuesday, January 25, 2005The District of North Vancouver today advised the evacuees of 17 homes on Riverside and Swinburne Avenue that they could return to their homes. Residents of ten of these homes (those residing on Swinburne and parts of Riverside) were evacuated on Friday, January 21. This was a precautionary measure as a result of work being done on the rear of a house on Lennox Street above these homes. Residents of the other seven homes (additional addresses on Riverside) were evacuated on Saturday, January 22 due to work being done on the rear of a house on Layton Drive above these homes. In the meantime, residents of the 20 homes at the landslide site remain on evacuation order. These residents continue to reside with family, friends, or at a local hotel. The District will extend their stay, which will be funded by the Provincial Government, as needed. These homes are on portions of Chapman Way, Tree Top Lane, and Berkley. Evacuees from these homes have been invited to attend a District meeting Tuesday, January 25, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the District's Operations Centre (1370 Crown Street, North Vancouver). Chief Administrative Officer, James Ridge, along with Engineering staff and others, will meet face-to-face with evacuees to provide updates and answer questions. Meanwhile, work on the landslide site continues. Debris removal is ongoing and Arborists continue to examine and remove all 'at-risk' trees behind existing homes. Building Inspectors and Structural Engineers have been on-site to examine any home damaged in the slide. As well, the District has hired numerous, independent Geo-Technical consulting firms to provide expertise in the areas of drainage and slope stability. As well, it has contracted forensic experts who are now examining the site with the goal of determining the cause of the landslide. Work in this area is preliminary. Right now, experts are taking photos and doing measurements as part of the initial stages. Work will be complex, however, these experts hope to eventually construct a computer model, which will hopefully determine what may have triggered the slide. The District's goal is to return evacuees to their homes as quickly as possible. However, our number one priority continues to be the safety and security of our residents. We appreciate the community's patience as we work towards these goals.
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