Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion
Project status
Permit issued
On October 3, 2023, a project permit was issued Vancouver Drydock Company Ltd. Partnership (Seaspan) to expand and upgrade its existing Vancouver Drydock water lot facilities. The project includes installing a work pontoon and two additional drydocks at Vancouver Drydock, 203 East Esplanade, North Vancouver, British Columbia on federal lands and waters managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
The project was approved subject to 61 permit conditions that Seaspan must meet to ensure the project does not result in significant adverse environmental effects.
Construction is expected to take approximately four months to complete. The drydocks and work pontoon would arrive fully constructed by water. For more information about the project and construction activities, please visit the Applicant’s website.
About the project
The Applicant proposes an expansion of its Vancouver Drydock operation currently located at the south foot of St. Georges Avenue in North Vancouver. The proposal includes extending their current water lot by 40 metres to the west, in order to expand its operations and increasing drydock capacity by adding two additional drydocks to the facility. This expansion is estimated to increase drydock capacity by approximately 30% to better service small and medium sized vessels. Currently, the Applicant is conducting some of its ship repair activities at a nearby operation at the south foot of Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver. The Project would allow Seaspan to consolidate repair activities to all occur at the Project’s site.
Physical works for the proposal would include the installation of a work pontoon and two additional drydocks. The Project would be installed to the west of the two existing drydocks that are currently located on either side of the Applicant’s deep-water outfitting pier.
The additional drydocks will be purchased on the global market, and therefore the dimensions and exact details (such as number of cranes, colour, locations of light fixtures, etc.) for these structures are approximate at the time of application. The new drydocks would be equipped with dedicated fire pumps and fire monitors, which is consistent with the existing two drydocks on site.
The proposed work pontoon would also function as a water treatment system, where storm water and any runoff from the new drydocks would be collected and treated, prior to discharge to the municipal sanitary wastewater system. The Applicant would also upgrade the lighting across the site as a result of this project.
Project activities and components include:
- Installation of six new steel piles
- Installation of two new drydocks
- One large drydock measuring approximately 100 m long x 30 m wide x 10 metres high
- One small drydock measuring approximately 55 m long x 22 m wide x 8 metres high
- Installation of a new work pontoon measuring approximately 98 m long x 13 m wide x 4 metres high
- Installation of three ramps to connect the work pontoon to the drydocks and to the pier
- Installation or relocation of utilities including water, electrical, stormwater, process water, etc.
- Installation or relocation of lights
- Installation of four seasonal suspended herring spawn panels on the service pier, or at other suitable locations within the water lot over the course of a trial period
- Installation and use of several types of noise mitigation measures, including mobile panels and curtains, and equipment to facilitate environmental and noise monitoring
Construction is expected to take approximately four months to complete. The drydocks and work pontoon would arrive fully constructed by water.
Visit the Applicant’s website for more information about the proposed project.
Resources
October 2023 – Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Decision letter (PER 20-189) [PDF]
October 2023 – Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Project Permit (PER No. 20-189) [PDF]
October 2023 – Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Project and Environmental Review Report [PDF]
Public engagement materials
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement consideration report [PDF]
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement consideration report appendix A – part 1 [PDF]
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement consideration report appendix A – part 2 [PDF]
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement consideration report appendix B [PDF]
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement consideration report appendix C [PDF]
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement consideration report appendix D [PDF]
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Supplementary engagement summary report [PDF]
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Supplementary engagement summary report appendix A [PDF]
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Supplementary engagement summary report appendix B [PDF]
March 2023: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Supplementary engagement summary report appendix C [PDF]
November 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement summary report [PDF]
November 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement summary report appendix A part 1 [PDF]
November 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement summary report appendix A part 2 [PDF]
November 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Public engagement summary report appendix B [PDF]
Project information guide
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Project Information Guide [PDF]
Information session recording and transcripts of all questions
Project description and drawings
Project description
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Project Description [PDF]
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 3 – Seaspan Contact List [PDF]
Location plan
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Existing Lease Plan [PDF]
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Expanded Lease Area Plan [PDF]
Drawings
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 1 – Engineering Drawings [PDF]
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 5 – Utilities Plan [PDF]
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 14 – Bathymetry Chart [PDF]
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Seaspan Water lot Fire Safety Plan [PDF]
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Seaspan drydock expansion – Fire Access Plan [PDF]
Studies and reports
Construction Environmental Management Plan
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 4 – Draft CEMP [PDF]
Habitat assessment
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 9 – Habitat Assessment [PDF]
Lighting report
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 6 – Lighting Report [PDF]
Noise assessment
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 7a – Noise Screening Worksheet [PDF]
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 7b – Noise Assessment [PDF]
(Updated October 2021)
View and shade renderings
June 2021: Seaspan Vancouver Drydock Water Lot Expansion: Appendix 8a – View and shade renderings [PDF]
Contact information
For more information about Seaspan’s proposed project, please visit their website or contact Paul Hebson, Vice President & General Manager, by email or phone at 604.990.5020. For questions regarding the Project and Environmental Review of the proposed project, please contact the port authority by email.