The governments of Canada and British Columbia have announced joint funding of up to $405 million toward the construction of the new Lions Gate Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant. The new facility, estimated to cost approximately $700 million, will be relocated from the Squamish Nation Reserve to a new Metro Vancouver-owned site in the District of North Vancouver.
This treatment system will employ best practices for wastewater treatment and resource recovery and reduce the plant’s carbon footprint. Water will be conserved and reclaimed within the plant, and rainwater harvested outside the plant for reuse. Both indoor and outdoor spaces will be created to support various types of community activities such as education programs, outreach activities and public meetings.
“With considerable funding from all levels of government, we can move ahead with this new robust and sustainable treatment plant, which will replace the primary facility that has served the North Shore for the past 55 years,” said Greg Moore, Metro Vancouver board chair and mayor of Port Coquitlam. “At an estimated cost of $700 million, the Lions Gate Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant will incorporate leading-edge technologies in integrated resource recovery, greenhouse-gas reductions and energy use, while serving as a critical community asset for the next generation of residents and businesses on the growing North Shore.”
The Government of Canada is providing up to $212,300,000 for this project under the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – National and Regional Projects, representing one-third of the estimated $636.9 million in total eligible project cost. The Government of British Columbia is providing up to $193 million for the project. Metro Vancouver is responsible for any remaining project costs.
Once completed, the districts of West and North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and the Squamish Nation will be able to depend on an improved, modern, reliable wastewater system that will improve environmental outcomes and also accommodate future growth and economic development throughout the area.
Construction is expected to be completed by 2020.
