Connected Coast Ivory Island Redesign
Document reference number: 1
Connected Coast Ivory Island Redesign
September 09, 2024 – The Fisheries and Oceans Canada must decide whether the proposed redesign of the landing site at Ivory Island, BC is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.
To help inform this decision, Fisheries and Oceans Canada 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 October 09, 2024 to:
A joint venture between CityWest and the Strathcona Regional District have a mandate to design,
build, and operate a submarine fibre optic cable network along much of the British Columbia (BC)
coast. The cable will come ashore at over 188 landing sites, which will improve the access,
capacity, affordability, and reliability of internet and other telecom services for residents in rural
and remote communities. The network will also connect several Canadian Coast Guard (CCG)
sites and expand the Natural Resources Canada (NRC) Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system,
which will enhance safety for all coastal communities and users. One such CCG landing site is the
Ivory Island Light Station, which will also have an EEW sensor installed. Ivory Island is within the
Lady Douglas-Don Peninsula Conservancy, and is comanaged by the Heiltsuk Nation and BC Parks.
As such, a Park Use Permit (PUP) is required to facilitate any works within this protected area.
In 2021, PUP 110945 was granted for a design which would have had the cable come ashore near
the light station at the southwestern tip of the island, at Robb Point. However, because of the risk of
cable damage inherent with a landing at Robb Point, the decision was made to revise the design
such that the cable would come ashore on a leeward, northeast shore of the island. The new
design would require a much longer terrestrial cable route to connect to the light station than
initially proposed and permitted.
Ivory Island is located in the Central Coast of British Columbia. Access to the site is limited and is only accessible by boat or helicopter.
Latitude/longitude: (52°16'11.44", 128°24'23.54").