White Rock residents clean up after devastating storm

Residents in White Rock, B.C. joined city crews at the city's beach Saturday to help cleanupin the aftermath of a powerful storm.

Boats and debris were scattered along the shore at White Rock beach following Thursday's storm that destroyed parts of the community's beloved pier.

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Most of the boats that slammed into the pier and shore are owned bymembers of the Lower Mainland Yacht Co-op

On Saturday, John Mitchell worked to dismantle a boat named the White Swan, which had been moored at the end of the pier along with others.

"It swung around and the boats were adrift, and eventually it punched a hole through the pier, and now they've ended up on shore," Mitchell said.

Yacht co-op members salvaged rope, life jackets, and onesix-metremast. The city dispatched trucks to collect other debris, while onlookershelped out.

The pier remains closed off and could take months to rebuild. Train tracks along the shore also needed repairs.

City staff areurging people to stay away from sections of the promenade.

For Lynda Honing, the hole in the pier has left a hole in her heart as her great, great grandfather helped build the century-old landmark.

"People walk the pier every day," Honingsaid. "It's part of peoples' lifestyle, it's part of their morning routine, it's their walk, it's their run, it's where people get proposed to, they have the dinners out here. It is our community."

With files from Jon Hernandez.