The Habitat Enhancement Program is a Vancouver Fraser Port Authority initiative intended to provide a balance between a healthy environment and future development projects that may be required for port operations. The program is aligned with our vision for the Port of Vancouver to be the world’s most sustainable port and focuses on creating, restoring and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat
Our predecessor port authorities started enhancing habitat in the early 1990s, prior to the 2008 amalgamation of the Fraser River, North Fraser, and Vancouver port authorities. These sites are still functioning well today. Since 2012, we have created, enhanced or restored approximately 15 hectares of functioning fish and wildlife habitat, including intertidal salt, brackish, and freshwater marshes, as well as eelgrass beds, to help maintain a balance between a healthy environment and future development that may be required for port operations. We have also completed feasibility work on over 100 hectares of potential habitat enhancement—roughly equal to the size of 187 football fields.
The program administers a habitat bank that is formalized through a 15-year agreement with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which allows us to directly offset effects of port development on fish and fish habitat.
In addition to working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, we also consult with Indigenous groups, all levels of government, neighbouring communities, and other regulators on these projects. This allows us to make sure the interests of all parties are considered, for the benefit of everyone. We have also collaborated with environmental organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited and the Pacific Salmon Foundation, to leverage their expertise when enhancing habitats that benefit fish and other wildlife.
We are also advancing several projects to support offsetting for the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project. These projects require permits and authorizations, in addition to consultation with Indigenous groups before they can proceed.
Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project – proposed offsetting projects
Location |
Name |
Status |
| Delta | South Causeway Eelgrass Project (formerly Tsawwassen Eelgrass Project) | Permitting and approvals phase |
| Westham Island Canoe Pass Tidal Marsh Project | Permitting and approvals phase | |
| Design, permitting and approvals phase | ||
| Richmond | South Arm Jetty Tidal Marsh Project | Design, permitting and approvals phase |
| Finn Slough Enhancement Project | Design, permitting and approvals phase | |
| Semiahmoo First Nation Reserve / White Rock | Semiahmoo Bay-Little Campbell River Enhancement Project | Design, permitting and approvals phase |
Port authority-led habitat enhancement projects
Location |
Name |
Status |
| North Vancouver | Maplewood Marine Restoration | Under construction |
| Richmond | McDonald Tidal Marsh | Permitting and approvals phase |
| Vancouver | Point Grey Tidal Marsh | Design, permitting and approvals phase |
Over the last 30 years, we have completed eight habitat enhancement sites throughout the Lower Mainland. Some of the recently completed projects include:
Location |
Name |
| Vancouver | New Brighton Park Shoreline Habitat Restoration Project |
| North Vancouver | Maplewood Marine Restoration |
| Roberts Bank, Boundary Bay (three project sites) | Salt Marsh Restoration Projects |
| North Delta | Glenrose Tidal Marsh Project |
| North Delta | Timberland Basin Habitat Project |
| Lower Fraser River | Gladstone Park Tidal Marsh Project |
| Lower Fraser River | Riverfront Park Tidal Marsh Project |
|
Learn more about our ongoing field studies as part of the environmental and technical work behind our habitat enhancement projects. March 2021 – Field studies notification |