Transport Canada completes the Victoria Middle Harbour Remediation Project and transfers land to the City of Victoria
A clean Victoria harbour is an area enjoyed by residents and tourists now and for generations to come. It is also essential for the well-being of local marine wildlife, as it is an important feeding ground and source of food, Transport Canad says in its news release.
Today, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced completion of the Middle Harbour Remediation Project to remove contaminants from the local Victoria harbour ecosystem. He also announced an agreement in principle to transfer ownership of Laurel Point Park from Transport Canada to the City of Victoria.
Laurel Point Park was home to a paint factory from 1906 until the early 1970s. Industrial activities left contaminants in the soil. While these contaminants did not pose a risk to residents and park users, they did threaten the environment and marine life. Transport Canada partnered with the City of Victoria to remediate the contaminated soil on both City and federal property.
The Laurel Point Park cleanup was the final phase of the project. The first phase successfully removed and addressed contaminated underwater sediment in Victoria harbour. The second and final phase removed and addressed contaminated soil at Laurel Point Park, backfilling of the area with clean soil and re-turfing the park.
With the project complete, Transport Canada will transfer approximately 1.91 acres of federally owned land to the City of Victoria. The land transfer agreement is pending a minimum year-long post-remediation review, which includes environmental sampling of soil and groundwater. The agreement also requires that all parties are satisfied with the monitoring results before transferring ownership.
