Past projects
Central Constance Cove Remediation Project
The Central Constance Cove Remediation Project dredged and disposed of contaminated sediments located in the central area of Constance Cove in Esquimalt Harbour. This project addressed remaining historical contamination between “Y” Jetty and “C” Jetty and included open water dredging of contaminated sediment hotspot areas.
Current Status: Remediation completed in 2020.
Anticipated Timeline: A monitoring program is underway to confirm harbour health improvements.
Image captions
- The Central Constance Cove Remediation Project Area Map shows the location of the Central Constance Cove Remediation Project in Esquimalt Harbour.
- The Central Constance Cove Remediation Project August 2021 photo shows an aerial view of Esquimalt Harbour including the Central Constance Cove Remediation Project. This photo was taken by a drone in August 2021.
Colwood Jetties Remediation Project (F/G-Jetty Optimization & Colwood South (D Jetty) Remediation Project)
The F/G Jetty Optimization Project dredged and disposed of contaminated sediments and placed clean fill materials on the seabed to improve the area between F Jetty and G Jetty and CFB Esquimalt-Colwood. At the same time, the Colwood South Remediation Project also undertook dredging and disposal of contaminated sediments from the area adjacent to D Jetty. The remediation work included site preparation and dredging of contaminated sediments and debris, processing of removed sediments, and water treatment.
Current Status: Remediation completed in 2017.
Anticipated Timeline: A monitoring program is underway to confirm harbour health improvements.
Image captions
- The Central Constance Cove Remediation Project Area Map figure shows the location of the Colwood Jetties Remediation Project in Esquimalt Harbour including labels for the F/G Jetty and D Jetty.
- The View over D Jetty & F/G Jetty 2016 photo shows an aerial view of the D Jetty and F/G Jetty in 2016.
- The F/G Jetty Dredge Area 2016 photo shows the dredging location for the F/G Jetty in 2016.
Constance Cove Remediation Project
The Constance Cove Remediation Project completed remediation between Y Jetty and the ML Floats on the southeast side of Esquimalt Harbour where higher concentrations of contaminants in sediments had been identified.
Current Status: Remediation completed in 2018.
Anticipated Timeline: A monitoring program is underway to confirm harbour health improvements.
Image captions
- The Central Constance Cove Remediation Project Area Map figure shows the location of the Constance Cove Remediation Project in Esquimalt Harbour.
- The Central Constance Cove Remediation Project 2019 photo shows an aerial view of the Constance Cove Remediation Project in Esquimalt Harbour.
Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project
The Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project (EHRP) addressed historical contamination that had accumulated in the harbour seabed after almost 200 years of commercial, military, and industrial use. DND conducted investigations to assess seabed and foreshore fill sediment quality throughout Esquimalt Harbour and prioritized six locations where DND operates – A, B, C, ML Floats, Lang Cove, and Y Jetty – for remedial dredging to provide a healthier, more diverse habitat for marine communities. The remediation has considerably reduced the exposure of marine life to contaminated sediments and has provided healthier habitat for marine life communities.
This project has removed contaminated sediments from these six areas of the harbour to provide a healthier, more diverse habitat for marine life. The EHRP contributes to the long-term environmental improvement of the harbour by reducing risks associated with contaminated sediments.
Current Status: A and B Jetty remediation is being completed as part of the A/B Jetty Recapitalization Project. All dredging activities were finalized in the summer of 2020.
Anticipated Timeline: A monitoring program is underway to confirm harbour health improvements.
Image captions
- The Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project Area Map figure shows the location of the Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Project in Esquimalt Harbour including labels for C Jetty, ML Floats, Y Jetty, and Lang Cove.
- The Y Jetty Dredging photo shows dredging activities at Y Jetty in Esquimalt Harbour.
- The C Jetty Dredging photo shows dredging activities at C Jetty in Esquimalt Harbour.
- The C Jetty, ML Floats August 2021 photo shows an aerial photo of C Jetty and ML Floats. This photo was taken by a drone in August 2021.
- The HCMS Aurora in Esquimalt Harbour circa 1921 photo shows the HMCS Aurora Royal Canadian Navy ship docked in Esquimalt Harbour in 1921.
- The Esquimalt Harbour August 2021 photo shows an aerial photo of Esquimalt Harbour. This photo was taken by a drone in August 2021.
- The Esquimalt Harbour August 2021 photo shows an aerial photo of Esquimalt Harbour. This photo was taken by a drone in August 2021.
G Jetty / Jetty 11 Remediation Project
The G Jetty and Jetty 11 Remediation Project included the dredging and disposal of contaminated sediments adjacent to both G Jetty and Jetty 11 to improve the ecological health in these areas. Italso involved the placement of residuals management cover over a portion of the project area.
Current Status: Remediation completed in 2024.
Anticipated Timeline: A monitoring program is underway to confirm harbour health improvements.
Image captions
- The G Jetty/Jetty 11 Remediation Project Area Map figure shows the location of the G Jetty/Jetty 11 Remediation Project in Esquimalt Harbour including labels for G Jetty and Jetty 11.
Plumper Bay / Ashe Head Remediation Project
Since construction of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo (E&N) Railway in 1886, Plumper Bay has been the site of multiple industrial functions including a cannery, fuel storage, an oil wharf, a ferry slip, a sawmill, and a plywood plant, among other uses. Log booming was also active in Plumper Bay from the 1940s to 1980s. In the 1990s, industrial activity ceased, and the area underwent decommissioning and remediation.
During harbour assessments in 2016-2018, two remaining areas with higher levels of sediment contamination were identified in Plumper Bay. The Plumper Bay and Ashe Head Remediation Projects remediated these two high priority areas of contamination in Plumper Bay. The work consisted of dredging and disposal of contaminated sediments to improve the health of this portion of Esquimalt Harbour.
Current Status: Remediation completed in 2018.
Anticipated Timeline: A monitoring program is underway to confirm harbour health improvements.
Image captions
- The Plumper Bay/Ashe Head Remediation Project Area Map figure shows the location of the Plumper Bay/Ashe Head Remediation Project in Esquimalt Harbour including labels for Plumper Bay and Ashe Head.
- The Plumper Bay, 1694 – An Active Industrial Area photo shows an aerial photo of Plumper Bay in 1964.
Small Boat Floats Project
The Small Boat Floats (SBF) Project was conducted to provide berthing facilities and support infrastructure for Royal Canadian Navy support vessels at CFB Esquimalt. The new SBF provides berths with enough water depth to moor and transport vessels during low water conditions and includes access improvements to support efficient shore operations. It largely replaces the function of the formerly-adjacent ML Floats which were near the end of their serviceable life. Remediation of contaminated sediments in the project area was completed during the Constance Cove Remediation Project prior to construction.
Work included the continuation of Phase 2 construction activities related to site preparation and float installation. More specifically, this included terrestrial and marine work including commissioning of Jetties Z1 and Z2, assembling floats for Jetty Z3, and monitoring of restored marine habitat.
Current Status: Construction was completed in 2022.
Anticipated Timeline: A monitoring program is underway to confirm harbour health improvements.
Image captions
- The Small Boat Floats Project Area Map figure shows the location of the Small Boat Floats Project in Esquimalt Harbour.
- The Small Boat Floats Location Map figure shows a schematic drawing of the Small Boat Floats Project in Esquimalt Harbour.
- The Small Boat Floats Project August 2021 photo shows an aerial view of the Small Boat Floats Project in Esquimalt Harbour. This photo was taken by a drone in August 2021.
- The Small Boat Floats Project August 2021 photo shows an aerial view of the Small Boat Floats Project in Esquimalt Harbour. This photo was taken by a drone in August 2021.
Western Constance Cove Remediation Project
The Western Constance Cove Remediation Project was undertaken to dredge and dispose of contaminated sediments on the southwest side of Esquimalt Harbour. This project addressed remaining historical contamination in the central harbour adjacent to A Jetty and included mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment hotspot areas, and placement of a clean sand layer within the dredge footprints.
Current Status: Remediation completed in 2024.
Anticipated Timeline: A monitoring program is underway to confirm harbour health improvements.
Image captions
- The Western Constance Cove Remediation Project Area Map figure shows the location of the Western Constance Cove Remediation Project Area Map in Esquimalt Harbour.
