Archived: Departmental Results Report 2017 to 2018, supplementary tables: Department of Environment, chapter 7

The Canadian Weather Radar Replacement Project (CWRRP) is an infrastructure project put forward to the government to replace obsolete,  and aging, radars with new systems. The primary driver is to replace increasingly unreliable radar systems with new systems that will stabilize operating costs for the network and that will provide radar data that is more reliably available and consistent in quality.

When the CWRRP is complete, the radar network will be completely upgraded, affordable to operate and will include:

1. thirty-two (32) new operational radars and one (1) training radar, including all infrastructure and any necessary real estate requirements;
2. radars that will increase Doppler coverage and have the capability to provide dual polarized data;
3. a modest extension of the network in the lower Athabasca region of Northeastern Alberta;
4. an affordable, mature and fully documented life-cycle management system, including the training radar;
5. all formal technical documentation and training required to operate the network;
6. upgraded data processing systems incorporating applied science work that ensures data integrity and utility.

This project aligns directly with Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 2017-2018 Departmental Plan (DP) and supports the Strategic outcomes and Program Alignment Architecture section 2 that relates to weather services and indicates that:

Strategic Outcome 2: Canadians are equipped to make informed decisions on changing weather, water and climate conditions

• Program Activity 2.1: Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians
  • Program Sub-Activity 2.1.1: Weather and Environmental Observations, Forecasts and Warnings

The Business Outcomes are articulated in the Department’s DP structure. The Business Outcomes are supported by the goals of this Radar Project.  In fact, this Radar Project is one of several projects and initiatives, funded through Budget 2011 and Budget 2013, within a portfolio intended to modernize Canada’s Weather Services. These commitments stem from the Government’s recognition that significant investments are required to ensure the modernization and sustainability of Canada’s weather services into the future, from monitoring to forecasting.

Reliable, timely, and accessible radar observations are critical to the production of weather forecasts and warnings of severe weather for informed decision making by Canadians. Radar data and products form a critical part of the foundation for achieving the high level Public Good mandate of ECCC programs related to the safety and security of Canadians.

The goals of the project is to:

• Provide a modern, affordable, and sustainable source of weather radar data with extended range to cover more of Canada, increasing the geographic area that forecasters can monitor for severe weather, plus additional coverage of the Lower Athabasca Region with the following objectives:
  • Improvement of network reliability and sustainability through the replacement of obsolete weather radars
  • Stabilize and reduce  maintenance and operating costs of the network
  • Improve the life-cycle management of the network
  • Increase data availability and redundancy through more overlap of Doppler coverage within the network
• Adapt radar software applications to ensure the continued production of radar products from data provided by new radar system with the following objectives:
  • Data management and processing systems are able to effectively ingest and process data from the new systems.
  • Downstream applications are able to effectively use the new radar data to support forecasting, science and product development.

In Canada, weather-related events account for 80% of disasters with significant consequences for the health and safety of citizens and to Canada’s economic performance.  Industries that are directly affected by weather conditions, such as transportation, agriculture, tourism and forestry, account for over 30% of the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Business Outcomes are supported by the goals of this Radar Project. In fact, this Radar Project is one of several projects and initiatives, funded through Budget 2011 and Budget 2013, within a portfolio intended to modernize Canada’s Weather Services.   These commitments stem from the Government’s recognition that significant investments are required to ensure the modernization and sustainability of Canada’s weather services into the future, from monitoring to forecasting.  Reliable, timely, and accessible radar observations are critical to the production of weather forecasts and warnings of severe weather for informed decision making by Canadians. Radar data and products form a critical part of the foundation for achieving the high level Public Good mandate of ECCC programs related to the safety and security of Canadians.

New radars will increase radar data availability to  the public and clients (including first responders), which allows for Canadians to better predict, prepare for, and respond to weather related emergencies and natural disasters and will provide more timely warnings of severe weather. 

• TBS approval of Radar Renewal funding (19/May/2016)
• PSPC award of contract to Selex (21/Jun/2016)
• Approval of Final Implementation Plan (27/Feb/2017)
• Site preparation activities (30/Sep/2022)
• Adaptation, testing, implementation of URP completed (1/Jul/2022)
• New Radar Scan Strategy (1/Jul/2017)
• SSC - Telecom and data center upgrades (31/Mar/2022)
• First Radar installation (15/Dec/2017)
• Second Radar installation (31/Jul/2018)
• Firm radar installs 2-20 (1/May/2020)
• Optional radar installs 21-33 (30/Sep/2022)
• Decommissioning of old radars (31/Mar/2023)
• Project Close-Out - transfer of ownership (31/Mar/2023)

The Canadian Weather Radar Replacement Project (CWRRP) is a seven-year project to replace Canada's weather radars network. The project will replace 31 existing radars with modern radars systems and associated infrastructure, add one new radar site in Alberta (Lower Athabaska region) and add a new training site. A contract was awarded in June 2016 for the installation of 20 systems with options for up to 13 additional ones.

The second year of implementation has been completed and the project remains on schedule and on budget. The first radar installation was completed in Radisson, Saskatchewan in the fall of 2017, and site preparation activities were completed for the four radars to be installed in 2018.

Randle Reef is an area of highly contaminated sediment located on the south shore of Hamilton Harbour in the western end of Lake Ontario, and is considered to be the largest and one of the more complex and highly contaminated sediment sites in the Great Lakes. With the remediation of the Sydney Tar Ponds nearing completion, Randle Reef is now the largest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated sediment site in Canada. Sediment remediation is required to reduce the environmental impacts of contaminants, including the PAHs and heavy metals located at this site.

Owing to the long history of contamination (more than 150 years) from multiple sources, it is not possible to apply the polluter pay principle. Instead, a shared responsibility model has been adopted with the Government of Canada, Government of Ontario and the local community, participating equally in the design and implementation of a solution. This legacy site is a priority for remediation in the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan (RAP) and under the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).

The Randle Reef Sediment Remediation project involves the construction of a 6.2 ha engineered containment facility over the most highly contaminated sediment, dredging and placement of additional contaminated sediment within the facility, and in-situ capping and isolation of remaining targeted sediment for a grand total of 695,000 m³ of sediment being managed.

The objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of environmental conditions in Hamilton Harbour and to assist in the delisting of the harbour as an Area of Concern. Performance of the remediation project will be measured with a set of indicator studies designed to assess the effectiveness of the sediment remediation project. Indicator studies have been undertaken for the project to establish baseline biological and chemical conditions in the remediation area, and will be used to assess the effectiveness of the project through a comparison with post-remediation conditions. The studies include:

• PAH concentrations and profiles in suspended sediments
• Sediment toxicity and benthic invertebrate community structure
• Incidence of tumours and external abnormalities in wild fish

The Randle Reef Sediment Remediation Project will prevent or reduce the spread of PAH‑contaminated sediment from the project site into the rest of the harbour. The remediation of Randle Reef will improve water quality and reduce contaminant levels in biota, eventually making it safer to consume fish caught in the harbour. It will also remove current restrictions on navigation and generate economic returns through the creation of valuable port lands.

Hamilton Harbour is a 2,150 ha embayment located at the western end of Lake Ontario and connected to the lake by a single ship canal across the sandbar that forms the bay. The Harbour accommodates a commercial port and is considered a major shipping centre. The south shore of the harbour supports the highest concentration of heavy-metal industries (primarily iron and steel) in Canada.

The contaminated sediment targeted for remediation is located at Randle Reef along the south shore of Hamilton Harbour in the vicinity of piers 14, 15 and 16. The engineered containment facility will be connected to Pier 15, owned by the Hamilton Port Authority (HPA).

Following project completion, the HPA will develop and operate the surface of the engineered containment facility as a marine facility and will be responsible for ongoing monitoring and maintenance. The majority of the site may be developed into a marine terminal that will be suitable for ships of Great Lakes Seaway draught.

In 2007, a research study by York University revealed that the net benefits (environmental, social and economic) of cleaning up Randle Reef were estimated as $126 million over 25 years. The proposed Randle Reef Contaminated Sediment Remediation Project will further advance the economic competitiveness of the region through expanded port facilities, shoreline redevelopment and the creation of approximately 60 jobs a year over the 7-year life of the project.

Stage 1:  McNally International (ECF construction); Riggs Engineering Ltd. (construction supervision engineering); and Dean Construction Co. Ltd. (Pier 15 re-construction)

Stage 2:  Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. and Fraser River Pile and Dredge Inc. (Stage 2 dredging)

Stage 1:  Bermingham Foundation Solutions and McKeil Marine

Stage 2:  Veolia Water Technologies (Stage 2 ECF water treatment)

2013–15 – Pre-construction preparations

September 2015 to fall 2017– Stage 1: Engineered Containment Facility Construction

January 2018 to December 2019 – Stage 2: Dredging and Containment

2019–20 to December  2022 – Stage 3: Capping and Landscaping

2022–23 to 2036–37 – Post-construction Monitoring/Maintenance

The Treasury Board approved the Randle Reef Sediment Remediation Project on December 13, 2012, with an estimated cost of $138.9 million. The construction phase of the project is scheduled to be completed in 2022, with post‑construction monitoring to continue for an additional 15 years to 2037.

This 7 year project will be implemented in a staged approach, and led by Environment and Climate Change Canada with PSPC as the contract authority. Legal agreements have been negotiated for cost sharing of the project with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ontario and the local community each contributing one-third of the project cost.

The initially planned 2014 project start date was delayed as a result of contractor bids on the first stage of the project exceeding cost estimates for this stage. Environment and Climate Change Canada and the project funding partners subsequently evaluated a range of options to advance the project in a manner which will achieve the environmental objectives within available resources. The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and the project partners agreed on a plan for a modified project design and the project was successfully re-tendered in 2015. In-water work began in September 2015 with the reconstruction of an adjacent pier which was required to facilitate dredging in the second stage of the project.

Stage 1 construction of the engineered containment facility (ECF) began in May 2016 and the first half of the ECF was completed in December. In fiscal year 2016-17, the project was proceeding on budget and schedule. In-water work began in March 2017 to construct the second half of the ECF which is scheduled to be complete by December 2017 but with corrections needing to be made to deficiencies in inner wall seals, Stage 1 is not expected to be fully complete until June 2018.    

The Stage 2 dredging contract was awarded in June 2017 to Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. and Fraser River Pile and Dredge Inc. The Stage 2 oversight engineer contract was awarded in January 2018 to Riggs Engineering Ltd. Preparations and mobilization for Stage 2 dredging began in the Fall 2017 for the start of dredging in the late spring/early summer 2018.