Colwood Mayor Rob Martin is proposing that Ocean Boulevard reopen to traffic on the first Tuesday after Labour Day.
The causeway next to at Esquimalt Lagoon has been closed to through traffic since mid-March, when the road was shut in an attempt to discourage large crowds, encourage physical distancing and reduce numbers at the popular beach during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This summer, the closure was extended to Sept. 30 even though a municipal survey showed more than half of respondents in favour of opening the route. Some were keen to resume using it as a scenic transportation link while others wanted it closed because it is in a park and because the area is a bird sanctuary.
Portions of the road have since reopened, including to food trucks, but not in a way that allows vehicles to drive from one end to the other.
Labour Day falls this year on Sept. 7, meaning if Martin’s motion passes Aug. 31 the road would be open again on Sept. 8.
He figures it makes sense to do so early in September because schools are set to reopen then and more people will be on the road.
