Recreational docks in the Port of Vancouver
From Burrard Inlet to the Fraser River, recreational docks are a common sight in our waterfront communities. Many of those docks are along the hundreds of kilometres of shoreline that make up the Port of Vancouver within the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s jurisdiction, and therefore require a project permit and a dock licence from the port authority.
New recreational dock applications are being accepted
New guidelines for dock installation, maintenance and repairs and new fees are in effect.
By our definition, a recreational dock is a structure for mooring boats located immediately in front of an existing residential property. When an upland property owner wants to build a new recreational dock within our jurisdiction—be it single-owner or shared—we, as the Canada port authority responsible for the stewardship of port lands and waters, work with them to assess their proposal and any potential impacts to the environment. Should the project be approved, the property owner must demonstrate their ability to mitigate any issues before a dock can be built.
Recreational docks are for non-commercial, private use. Before a recreational dock is built within the port authority’s jurisdiction, the upland owner is required to go through our Project and Environment Review (PER) process for approval and receive a licence for non-exclusive use.
New recreational dock applications are being accepted in Burrard Inlet
The Recreational dock guidelines provide design consistency and alignment with our land use plan and our Project and Environmental Review process. A licence and fee structure is in place.
Recently, the port authority developed new guidelines for Project Environmental Review (PER) permit applications for new recreational dock installation and upgrades or maintenance and repair to existing recreational docks in the Burrard Inlet.
Find out more about the guidelines, licence and fees, and how these guidelines impact you below.
Still have questions? Refer to our Q&A document or contact us directly at: [email protected].