Stanley Park and English Bay Seawall Repairs

Project Highlights

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation (Park Board) is undertaking repairs to the Stanley Park and English Bay seawalls.  The project includes repair works at multiple locations along the seawall between the foot of Chilco Avenue at Coal Harbour and Sunset Beach Park near the mouth of False Creek.  Repair works include undermining and bulge repairs, cavity repairs and mortar repointing, and reconstruction of one section of seawall.  The repair work is being conducted to improve public safety, maintain the structural integrity on the seawall, and repair damage caused by storms and age-related impacts.  The proposed repair works are being completed in two phases.  Phase 1 works started in March 2018 and were completed in December 2018.  Phase 2 works started in early 2019 and are continuing in 2020.

KWL is providing biology and environmental consulting services for the project as part of a larger consultant team led by Advisian.  KWL’s role has included providing environmental design input into the repair designs, conducting an environmental impact assessment for the repair works, obtaining the necessary permits and approvals for construction, authoring the Environmental Management Plan, and conducting environmental monitoring during construction.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed by KWL in 2017 to address concerns about potential impacts to the environment that may occur as a result of the proposed Phase 1 and 2 works.  The project approvals process included reviews by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada, and obtaining a Port permit for the proposed works.  Project-specific environmental mitigation measures have included efforts to avoid impacts to sensitive habitats, such as kelp forests and eelgrass beds, and monitoring for forage fish spawning activities prior to the start of works on sensitive beach habitat where forage fish are likely to occur.