Project Summary
Canadian Coast Guard Queen Charlotte Strait Navigation Aids Rebuild and Helicopter Landing Pad Installation– Public Comments Invited
June 22, 2021 – The Canadian Coast Guard must decide whether the proposed Decommissioning and reconstruction of 39 Navigational Aids, and the addition of 3 helicopter landing pads located in the Queen Charlotte Strait, BC is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.
To help inform this decision Canadian Coast Guard is inviting comments from the public on the project and its potential effects on the environment. All comments received will be considered public [and may be posted online]. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.
Written comments must be submitted by July 21, 2021 to:
Andrew Wight
25 Huron St, Victoria, BC. V8V 4V9
Andrew.wight@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
The Canadian Coast Guard identifies locations where aids to navigation are required to be constructed or modified to better provide their service and to improve the safety to those who maintain them. The Project aligns with the Canadian Coast Guard and Federal Infrastructure Initiative's goal of providing safe, economical, and efficient services for marine navigation and is critical for Canadian Coast Guard's mandate of providing safe and accessible waterways.
The Canadian Coast Guard is proposing to rebuild and/or upgrade 39 Navigational Aids in the Queen Charlotte Strait. Helicopter landing pads are also proposed for three of these sites. Four of the sites can only be accessed via helicopter and three of them do not currently have a helicopter landing pad resulting in staff completing dangerous hover exits with heavy equipment often several hundred meters away from the aid. Canadian Coast Guard proposes to build helicopter pads at the three sites where hover exits are required.
The work will include the removal and demolition of the current structure and concrete base, pouring of a new concrete base or encapsulation of the existing concrete base and installation of a new fall compliant tower and components. The helicopter landing pads will either be poured concrete pads or prefabricated aluminum pads on concrete footings. There are several navigational aids on this list that only require removal of the existing Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic tower with a new aluminum lattice tower, ladder and signboards. A temporary aid will be installed adjacent to the aids being replaced so that there is no impedance to navigation while the aid is being rebuilt.
Work will be completed at 35 of the aids via tug and barge. The barge will function as the project's work platform and for containment of equipment, material and any wastes. All wastes will be removed from the work site and disposed of at a licensed facility. 4 of the sites will be accessed via helicopter and supplies will be long line helicoptered to site.
Work is planned to start August 6 and end September 15 2021.
The project area in the Queen Charlotte Strait encompasses the coast along Northern Vancouver Island and coastal islands starting at Boat Bay on Cracroft Island to as far north as Port Hardy and along the mainland and coastal islands from Eden Island to McEwan Rock.
Coordinates:
LL |
Name |
Latitude (N) |
Longitude (W) |
Work |
544.00 |
Boat Bay |
50.5195 |
-126.578278 |
Rebuild |
544.40 |
Cracroft Point |
50.54981 |
-126.678806 |
Tower swap |
544.60 |
Parson Island |
50.57519 |
-126.683306 |
Rebuild |
545.00 |
Blinkhorn |
50.54375 |
-126.782528 |
Rebuild |
546.00 |
Lewis Point |
50.55181 |
-126.854278 |
Rebuild |
548.00 |
Alert Bay Breakwater |
50.58981 |
-126.932944 |
Rebuild |
549.00 |
Nimpkish Bank |
50.578605 |
-126.947987 |
Tower Swap |
549.20 |
Yellow Bluff Sector |
50.586981 |
-126.950975 |
Maintenance |
550.20 |
Haddington Reefs Pier |
50.60764 |
-127.010417 |
Tower Swap |
550.50 |
Haddington Island |
50.60503 |
-127.021222 |
Rebuild |
550.80 |
Haddington Island South |
50.5985 |
-127.024833 |
Rebuild |
550.90 |
Broad Point West (Hyde Creek) Sector |
50.58283 |
-127.023444 |
Tower Swap |
551.50 |
Port Mcneil Breakwater |
50.593557 |
-127.088199 |
Rebuild |
555.80 |
Lizard Point |
50.67133 |
-126.894889 |
Tower Swap |
556.00 |
Wedge Island |
50.63467 |
-126.722389 |
Rebuild |
558.00 |
Duff Islet |
50.75661 |
-126.723222 |
Rebuild |
559.00 |
James Point |
50.83847 |
-126.978333 |
Rebuild |
559.50 |
Numas Island |
50.76536 |
-127.071556 |
Rebuild |
560.00 |
Surgeon Islets |
50.89192 |
-126.872167 |
Rebuild |
561.00 |
Jeannette Islands |
50.921219 |
-127.414139 |
Rebuild |
562.00 |
Harris Island |
51.00022 |
-127.564194 |
Rebuild, helipad |
564.00 |
Hardy Bay (Port Hardy Outer) |
50.729808 |
-127.483129 |
Tower Swap |
565.00 |
Hardy Bay Inner |
50.718426 |
-127.483012 |
Tower Swap |
565.20 |
Hardy Bay Inner No. 2 |
50.717189 |
-127.480764 |
Tower Swap |
566.00 |
Port Hardy Boat Basin North |
50.714203 |
-127.488493 |
Rebuild |
566.10 |
Port Hardy Boat Basin South |
50.713057 |
-127.488187 |
Rebuild |
567.00 |
Noble Islets |
50.82131 |
-127.593306 |
Maintenance |
568.00 |
Doyle Island |
50.80539 |
-127.460639 |
Rebuild |
569.00 |
Crane Islands |
50.84219 |
-127.52375 |
Maintenance |
569.30 |
Tribune Rock |
50.85764 |
-127.566361 |
Rebuild |
572.00 |
Dillon Rock |
50.85669 |
-127.858667 |
Tower Swap |
573.00 |
Godkin Poiint |
-127.93 |
50.8956 |
Rebuild, helipad |
574.00 |
Nahwitti Point |
50.90494 |
-127.985389 |
Tower Swap |
576.00 |
Pine Island |
50.97561 |
-127.727972 |
Tower Swap |
577.00 |
McEwan Rock |
51.05878 |
-127.631722 |
Rebuild, helipad |
5351.00 |
Haddington Island West Daybeacon |
50.60233 |
-127.028222 |
Rebuild |
5352.00 |
Cormorant Rock Beacon |
50.71038 |
-127.417389 |
Rebuild |
5354.00 |
Eno Islet Daybeacon |
51.025509 |
-127.523417 |
Tower Swap |
5355.00 |
City Point Daybeacon |
51.034821 |
-127.519917 |
Rebuild |
Document Reference Number: 1