Public notice

Barge ramp partial replacement – Public comments invited

June 12, 2025– As part of its Project and Environmental Review process, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority must determine whether the proposed Barge ramp partial replacement, located at 404 Salter Street, New Westminster is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. 

To help inform this determination and a decision on whether or not to approve the proposed project, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. 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. In addition, your contact information may be shared with third parties, e.g., the tenant, other relevant agencies, to help respond to your questions and inform possible mitigations.

Written comments must be submitted by July 11, 2025 to:

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Project and Environmental Review
100 The Pointe, 999 Canada Place
Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6C 3T4 
per@portvancouver.com

The proposed project

Coastland Wood Industries, located at 404 Salter Street in New Westminster, proposes to partially replace the existing barge ramp. Work is to remove the barge ramp pontoons that utilize a hydraulic cylinder system to lift and lower the ramp. In their place, 4 24" steel pilings are proposed to be installed, 2 on either side of the existing ramp, and electric winches to raise and lower the ramp. No changes anticipated at the land end of the ramp.

The project is to allow larger barges, with a higher deck height to be used in case of need. The existing pontoons also ground at low water, so this project would eliminate that. No additional dredging is anticipated, other than a continuation of ongoing maintenance dredging at this site. The entire operation relies on a generator for power, and this is not anticipated to change. The winches would be powered by the existing generator.