| Location | North Vancouver, BC |
| Client | Shipyards Development Ltd. |
| Service | Environmental Site Assessment, Risk Assessment, Remediation Program, Regulatory Submission, Planning and Liability Costing, Environmental Management |
The Shipyards district on the North Shore waterfront has more than a century of industrial history and is now a central part of the City of North Vancouver’s vision for a vibrant public waterfront. Lot 5 (i.e., the final parcel to be redeveloped) presented the greatest environmental challenge, with deep contamination extending toward Burrard Inlet.
The City and developer needed to redevelop without removing excessive volumes of soil or compromising environmental safety. Traditional clean-up approaches were limited by the depth and location of contamination and the proximity of the shoreline.
PGL consolidated decades of historical data, completed additional site investigations, and mapped the full extent of contamination. Using detailed human health and ecological risk assessments, PGL demonstrated that contamination could be safely managed in place beneath the development using engineered controls, including a perimeter secant pile wall and sub-slab vapour management systems.
Strategic pre-classification of soils enabled a bulk excavation, removing only what was necessary and avoiding unnecessary disruption. The approach saved significant cost while meeting regulatory requirements, and a Certificate of Compliance was issued to allow redevelopment to proceed.
Through careful, risk-based decision-making, the final parcel of the Shipyards was transformed from a complex brownfield into a cornerstone of a waterfront destination.
The Shipyards district on the North Shore waterfront has more than a century of industrial history and is now a central part of the City of North Vancouver’s vision for a vibrant public waterfront. Lot 5 (i.e., the final parcel to be redeveloped) presented the greatest environmental challenge, with deep contamination extending toward Burrard Inlet.
The City and developer needed to redevelop without removing excessive volumes of soil or compromising environmental safety. Traditional clean-up approaches were limited by the depth and location of contamination and the proximity of the shoreline.
PGL consolidated decades of historical data, completed additional site investigations, and mapped the full extent of contamination. Using detailed human health and ecological risk assessments, PGL demonstrated that contamination could be safely managed in place beneath the development using engineered controls, including a perimeter secant pile wall and sub-slab vapour management systems.
Strategic pre-classification of soils enabled a bulk excavation, removing only what was necessary and avoiding unnecessary disruption. The approach saved significant cost while meeting regulatory requirements, and a Certificate of Compliance was issued to allow redevelopment to proceed.
Through careful, risk-based decision-making, the final parcel of the Shipyards was transformed from a complex brownfield into a cornerstone of a waterfront destination.