Mistaken Island beach access stairs reopened, more than six months after record swells destroyed it

The City of Albany recently reopened the Goode Beach North access staircase just in time for a busy summer holiday period, after the stairs were destroyed by storm swells in May.

The staircase at the popular beach, known Mistaken Island, had been closed for more than six months after it was completely wiped out by a record swell on May 26.

The beach is located in the Vancouver Peninsula and is at the end of Mistaken Island Road.

The swell brought the highest wave recorded in King George Sound since 2017, and caused damage to the Albany coastline at a number of locations.

It caused significant sand erosion, visible at popular beaches around Albany including Goode Beach and Emu Point, shifted rocks in the newly built Southern Ocean Surf Reef, and damaged the swimming enclosure at Middleton Beach.

The City of Albany reported that beach access was impacted at Mistaken Island, Frenchman Bay, Goode Beach, Whalers Cove and Emu Point.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the city confirmed the staircase had been completed, with construction to rebuild it taking place “after beach conditions improved” at the site.

The city thanked the community for their patience while the staircase was restored.