The Pitt River dike near Minnekhada Regional Park won’t be the same without sight of the historic blue dike house.
Last week, the dike house, located in the Pitt-Addington Marsh Wildlife Management Area, was demolished after the provincial government and the Nature Trust of British Columbia determined it was no longer in livable condition. The garage and related structures were demolished earlier in the month.
“An inspection of the building in 2015 indicated that it was no longer safe for occupation,” said Dave Townsend, a spokesperson with Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, in an email. “[It] was beyond repair.”
The dike house was built in 1934 by Eric Hamber, who would later become B.C.’s lieutenant-governor, at about the same time as Minnekhada Lodge, and was used for guests, including those who farmed and hunted in the area.
According to Townsend, there was no record of the building on the provincial heritage registry, or the city of Coquitlam’s heritage registry.
According to Nature Trust, the house had been unoccupied since December after it gave notice to the caretaker residing there to leave.
For at least one local resident who frequents the trail, the demolition of a decades-old landmark was tough to swallow.
“It is a shame that so much of potential historical landmarks in the early years of B.C. history are left to go to rack and ruin,” Philip Warburton told The Tri-City News. “I shall miss seeing the building as part of daily walks in the area.”
