Battani Creek Disaster Still Echoes

A look back over a year of coverage

Photo by Marcus Reuter.

The devastating debris torrent that swept through Lions Bay on December 14, 2024 took the lives of long-time residents Barbara and David Enns, and continues to reverberate more than a year later.

The Watershed has covered this story from the very beginning, and has kept readers informed of developments throughout the year. With at least two lawsuits pending and an RCMP investigation underway, there is certain to be more news in the upcoming weeks and months.

Here is a summary of our coverage in 2025:

In January, while residents of Goldenrod Avenue had their evacuation orders lifted, evacuation alerts remained in place. The State of Local Emergency (SOLE) that had been put in place shortly after the landslide in December was extended through January.

Lions Bay's provincial representative MLA Jeremy Valeriote spoke to the legislature in February, seeking support for the Enns family after the deadly landslide. After Valeriote's plea to the province, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Kelly Greene replied that while "disaster financial assistance is available for eligible, sudden, unexpected and widespread events," the families affected by the Battani Creek disaster did not qualify.

In March, Jatinder Sidhu, Constituency Lead for Valeriote's office, said that the province's lack of action puzzled him. "How do you define the term widespread? This landslide destroyed a family home, and damaged other houses, displacing other families for weeks. It diverted a creek, shut down a major highway in the province and left damage that is still under repair."

Throughout the spring, while the SOLE continued to be extended, both Council and RCMP remained tight-lipped about the investigation.

On April 16, a civil action filed by the children of David and Barbara Enns and their neighbours Fiona and Raymond Fourie, Michelle Medland and Sean Barry alleged that a reservoir constructed on Crown land above Lions Bay was done so illegally. The suit alleged that both Steven Vestergaard, a local resident who built the reservoir and associated works, and the Province failed to adequately comply with directives laid out in a 2014 geotechnical report and ensure that the known risks were resolved or mitigated.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the Village of Lions Bay responded in May to the civil claim, stating that Lions Bay "has no legal obligation to incur costs to repair, maintain, or inspect the bridge or Glendale Road," as was claimed in the suit. While most of the compensation sought by the lawsuit was directed at the province and Vestergaard, the Village of Lions Bay was named when the plaintiffs suggested that "the Village or the Province or both" were liable for the costs of repair, maintenance and inspections of the road and bridge leading to their homes.

On June 5, Vestergaard responded to the claim, citing harassment and threats, and counter-sued the families, seeking general, aggravated and punitive damages.

In July, the province responded to the civil action, calling the deadly landslide an "Act of God", and denying any responsibility for the event.

Near the end of August, a banner appeared on the Village website indicating that the SOLE had "not been renewed" by the province.

And on December 14, while friends marked a year of remembrance by laying a memorial wreath, there were still no answers from local or provincial governments or the RCMP.

The civil action filed against the province, local resident Steven Vestergaard and the Village of Lions Bay on April 16 by family members of the Enns, and residents of the two neighbouring houses whose homes were affected by the Battani Creek disaster, continues to make its way through the courts, as does Vestergaard's counter-suit.

And the community awaits.

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