SNC Lavalin on behalf of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | Sterling Shipyard Remediation and Infill

September 21, 2021

Project status
Permit issued

On November 2, 2023, a project permit was issued to SNC Lavalin (the Applicant), on behalf of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority – Planning and Development (the Permit Holder), to remediate and infill a former shipyard at 2089 to 2095 Commissioner Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. The project is located on federal lands and waters managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

The project was approved subject to 46 permit conditions that the permit holder must meet to ensure the project does not result in significant adverse environmental effects. For more information about the project and construction activities, please visit the Permit Holder’s website.

About the project

The project includes remediation and redevelopment activities in subtidal, intertidal and upland areas of a former shipyard at 2089 to 2095 Commissioner Street in Vancouver. Contaminated sediment in the project area will be removed and replaced with clean fill. The remediated area will be infilled to raise the grade and reclaim 4,500 square meters of additional land for future industrial use.

The contamination from the former shipyard includes debris, wood waste, metals, hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These cover over 80 per cent of the intertidal area down to an approximate depth of 4 metres. The fill layer in this area ranges in depth from 4 metres to 8 metres.

Project components include remedial excavation and dredging of substrate, rock berm installation, backfilling and vibro compaction. Habitat offsetting is also proposed. See below for details.

Project activities and components include:

Site Preparation

Removal of trees and other vegetation on the southern portion of the site
Installation of erosion and sediment control measures
Installation of silt curtain around the in-water work area
Demolition of existing infrastructure
Installation of temporary shoring around the east, west and south side of the Project area

Sediment Remediation

Excavation and dredging of approximately 18,000 cubic metres of contaminated substrate from the intertidal and subtidal area of the site, to a maximum depth of 5 metres below Site grade

Rock Berm Installation

Installation of rock berm revetment approximately 100 metres in length with an elevation of approximately 8 metres

Backfilling and Grading

Placement of approximately 41,000 cubic metres of engineered fill in both the intertidal and upland area to elevate Site grade to approximately 6 metres elevation
Grading and compaction of the newly placed engineered fill

Habitat Offsetting

Creation of two subtidal reefs with anchored seeded kelp ropes
Installation of marine riparian vegetation

As some of the activities are dependent on tides, work may need to take place outside of standard hours (except for Sundays and statutory holidays). Construction is expected to take approximately 10 months to complete.

Resources

November 2023 – Sterling Shipyard Remediation and Infill: Project Permit
November 2023 – Sterling Shipyard Remediation and Infill: Project Report

Contact information

The Applicant can be reached by email at [email protected]. Visit their project website here to learn more about the proposed project.

For questions regarding the Project and Environmental Review of the proposed project, or to get in touch with our team, please contact us by email ([email protected]) or phone at 604.665.9047.

Please note, when receiving public feedback as part of the PER process, the port authority may collect your personal information, i.e., your name, contact information and personal views and opinions, to inform the PER process for a proposed project. Your personal information may be disclosed to third parties, such as our tenants, in order for them to respond directly to you or help inform our response. You are entitled to submit a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner office here.