A clean Victoria harbour is an area enjoyed by residents and tourists for generations. It is also essential for the survival of local marine wildlife, as it is an important feeding ground and source of food.
Today, Transport Canada awarded approximately $17.66 million in a contract to QM/JJM Contracting JV to restore the environmental health of Laurel Point Park and the harbour by removing persistent contaminants from the ecosystem.
Between 1906 and 1975, Laurel Point Park, located in the Middle Harbour of Victoria, was the site of a paint factory. Industrial activities left persistent contaminants in the soil, posing a threat to marine life. The pollutants do not pose a risk to residents and park users.
The Laurel Point Park cleanup is the final phase of Transport Canada’s comprehensive Middle Harbour Remediation Project to preserve the harbour and remove persistent contaminants from the ecosystem. The first phase successfully remediated contaminated underwater sediments in Victoria Harbour. Work on the final phase will begin next month and is expected to end by late next year. Workers will dig up contaminated soil at Laurel Point Park, backfill the area with clean soil and re-turf the park.
The Middle Harbour Remediation Project is funded through the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP), which is coordinated by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and provides funding to assess and remediate federal contaminated sites. The Government of Canada is taking action under the FCSAP to preserve our ecosystems for generations to come.
Quotes
“The Government of Canada takes its responsibility to clean up federal contaminated sites like Victoria’s Middle Harbour seriously. Today’s announcement demonstrates action and illustrates our ongoing commitment to protecting Canada’s marine environment and for residents.”
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport
“Victoria Harbour is shared by industry, tourism businesses and local wildlife, and a perfect example of how the environment and the economy go hand in hand. This project will preserve Laurel Point Park as a feeding ground for wildlife, a place for locals to relax, and an attraction for tourists that will benefit generations to come.”
Joyce Murray, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government
Quick facts
- The Laurel Point Park remediation will remove about 35,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil.
- The remediation site is located on the traditional territory of Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation.
- Transport Canada is partnering with the City of Victoria on Phase Two of this project to remediate the contaminated soil on both City and federal property.