Since Christopher Tousignant's death, temporary orange fencing and a sign asking residents to use another route has been erected at the base of an unnamed trail on Whitehorn Place in Langford.
It’s the only visible change to the area where the 33-year-old Langford resident's body was found on Dec. 2.
While the B.C. Coroners Service and West Shore RCMP have yet to officially release their findings, it is believed that Tousignant fell while on that unnamed trail.
Better described as a well-worn path, it carves a steep line between the edge of a rock retaining wall and exposed bedrock behind Millstream Village. Roughly two-thirds of the way up the short path, what remained of a memorial for Tousignant was still visible Thursday under snow and ice.
A little further up, at the highest part of the steep incline, an exposed section of rock interrupts the path, causing a roughly two-foot drop for pedestrians to climb or jump. Dead leaves are scattered on the ground, disguising outcrops in the small amount of soil on the hill.
City of Langford parks manager Mike Leskiw confirmed the trail is on Millstream Village property. While he noted this is a tragic incident, he said the City has no jurisdiction to close or make improvements on private property.
Millstream Village is managed by Toronto-based GWL Realty Advisors Inc., which has an office in Vancouver. In an email, a company spokesperson wrote, "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr. Tousignant during this difficult time … We are investigating this accident and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time."
katie@goldstreamgazette.com