Mayor's Report - November 2006

On October 16^th Jack Lee (Project Manager) and Walt Bayless (Project Engineer) of Dayton & Knight attended an information meeting to provide an overview of the findings of the Predesign Study. Approximately 50 residents attended the information meeting, and many questions were answered by the two engineers.

The Predesign Study identified the preferred alignment of the submarine water main crossing under Indian Arm as being between the end of Strathcona Road in the District of North Vancouver (DNV) and the end of Midden Road in the Village of Belcarra. The distance of this crossing is only 1.4 km, and the cost of a twinned 200mm HDPE pipe crossing at this alignment is estimated at $2.6 million.

With the results of the Preferred Option Predesign Study (13.5 MB) now received by Council, the next step in the process is to apply to the Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) for the necessary approvals, a prerequisite for which is an environmental assessment of the preferred alignment sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act. Accordingly, Belcarra Council initiated a Request For Proposals (RFP) to conduct the environmental assessment of the preferred alignment, the scope of which follows:

• Inventory of biophysical data within the near shore zone at the DNV connection. The zone is generally adjacent the southern side of Grey Rock Island and terminating at the high-high water mark near the end of Strathcona Road.
• Inventory of biophysical data within the nearshore zone at the Belcarra connection. The zone is generally adjacent the north side of the Belcarra public dock along the Midden Road right-of-way.
• Video and depth survey of the seabed for the preferred alignment between the Belcarra connection and the DNV connection. The preferred alignment is approximately 1400 metres long and has a maximum depth of 39 metres.
• Identification and characterization of the subtidal soil conditions along the preferred alignment.
• Identification of physical and biological components along with photographic records and an estimate of percent aerial coverage and locations of dominant biological species within the alignment. The biophysical survey shall be completed by a Registered Professional Biologist.
• Recommendation of methods to be used for mitigating the environmental impacts related to the watermain construction, including alignment adjustments, methods for habitat creation, compensation and rehabilitation, taking into account proposed engineering and construction requirements.
• Summarizing and reporting the biophysical survey and environmental assessment including electronic copies of the written, photographic and video record collected.

Three proposals for conducting the environmental assessment were received by Council, and the project has been awarded to Foreshore Technologies Inc. at a cost of $25,810. The results of the environmental assessment are expected early in the new year.

In the very near future, Council intends to make application for infrastructure funding under the Canada–British Columbia Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund that was announced on October 13^th, and also intends to make application to the Vancouver Port Authority regarding the water main crossing. All of these steps take time, but are being pursued as parallel activities.

Residents can expect further updates on the project as additional information becomes available.

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