But the now-reversed closures may ultimately be what catalyzes significant change in favour of their community. On top of highlighting the fraying relationship between mountain bikers and the city, the incident has left the city exposed to criticism from the mountain biking community.
And as the city seeks to do damage control, it has promised to give the Burnaby Mountain Biking Association what riders have long wanted: more days to work on maintaining trails.
Staff have noted, however, the multi-faceted interests on the mountain tug it in various directions, and the city is now looking to revisit its 1999 management plan for the conservation area. And that will open up fundamental questions for the city about who or what the mountain is for and what the right balance is between conservation and human uses of the space.
In this four-part series, Jammed Gears, reported with interviews and freedom-of-information requests over the last seven months, the NOW explores the history of Burnaby Mountain and the competing interests that shape the mountain today.
Part 1: Burnaby Mountain bikers force reversal of trail closures
In the first part of our series, we look at the pushback the city received after the maps were put up on Burnaby Mountain, including a slew of emails from riders. And we hear from riders on why they love their sport and why they love Burnaby Mountain.
Part 2: A history of creeping developments on Burnaby Mountain
To understand the issues facing Burnaby Mountain today, we need to take a look at the mountain of yesteryear. In this second part of our series, we look back – starting with the mountain's Indigenous roots.
Indigenous history in the area dates back nearly 10,000 years, but in the course of the 20th century and to this date, the mountain has been shaped and altered without their input.
Part 3: Burnaby Mountain's tug of war between conservation and recreation
With all the developments over the past 70-odd years on Burnaby Mountain, streamkeepers say space has shrunk considerably for sustaining plants and wildlife in the conservation area. And human activities on the trails leave even less space.
In part 3 of this series, we look at the two main competing demands on this mountain – recreation and conservation.
Part 4: How a clash between the city and Burnaby Mountain bikers came to a head
For the final part of our series, we discover how mountain biking trails were decommissioned – a move that was quickly reversed by the city after pushback from the local mountain biking community.
And we look at the efforts being made to mend a broken relationship.
