Jan. 6, 2015, Coast Salish Territories (Malahat, BC) – The Malahat Nation and partner Quantum Murray are the successful proponents for the Phase 2 South Jetty Under-Pier Sediment Remediation Project at the Esquimalt Graving Dock, which is owned and operated by Public Works and Government Services Canada.
The one-year project will see the demolition of the South and West Jetty, followed by dredging of more than 40,000 m3 (equivalent to approximately 6,200 dump truck loads) of contaminated sediments for transport and disposal at an off-island licensed facility. The work will also include the restoration of some infrastructure and backfilling of the ocean floor to create new aquatic life habitat. The work for this project is valued at more than $26 million. The work will extend until September 2016.
“We are excited that our partnership with Quantum Murray has been strengthened and has expanded with this new project,” says Lawrence Lewis, CEO of the Malahat Nation. “We have been working with Quantum Murray since the summer of 2014 after meeting them and exploring projects and opportunities at Aboriginal Business Match earlier in the year.”
The Esquimalt Graving Dock has been owned and operated by the Federal Government since 1927 and is the largest public shipbuilding and repair facility on Canada’s Pacific Coast. The marine sediments underneath the jetty were impacted by various contaminants (metals and hydrocarbons) through some of the historical ship construction/repair operations and it was time to address the contamination on the sea floor. The project will ensure that the water lot is remediated to meet federal and provincial environmental standards.
This is a project of significant scope, and the third project of this scale undertaken by Quantum Murray in the ports of Victoria and Esquimalt over the course of the last 10 years. The award of this project is pivotal to our partnership with Malahat Nation, and in continuing to develop the long term capacity and sustainability of our partnership through successful project delivery. The award of this project illustrates the potential of such partnerships.
“We are committed to working with Aboriginal peoples, communities and businesses in all facets of project delivery across Canada,” says Adrian Montgomery, CEO, Quantum Murray. “Our partnership with Malahat Nation continues to strengthen and expand in scope, and we are excited at the award of this project and what it represents. As partners we are poised for long term growth, capacity building and revenue generation.”
For more information on the project, visit www.malahatnation.ca.
