Healing Esquimalt Harbour one project at a time
The Director of the Esquimalt Graving Dock is on a mission.
In partnership with his environmental colleagues, he aims to help clean up the harbour where the Esquimalt Graving Dock, owned and operated by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), is situated. "A century of marine work has resulted in contamination in various parts of Esquimalt Harbour," says Director Kordian Rainczak. "There have been multiple projects by various departments to clean up the contamination at this west-coast harbour, and we're determined to have PSPC contribute to these efforts."
In 2024, Rainczak and his environmental team at the dock delivered a soil cleanup project at a nearby cove, where studies had confirmed the presence of metals and other pollutants. The local Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations had an important role to play in this soil cleanup effort, which had many layers of complexity and key benefits for the area's inhabitants and environment.
Going beneath the surface
Rae-Ann Sharp and her staff are dedicated to the environmental management of the graving dock. "We monitor and advise on a range of environmental issues, such as air quality, discharge from industrial practices, natural and biological resource conservation, and stormwater management." In addition to their involvement in daily dock activities and operations, her team implements projects like the soil cleanup. It took their unique expertise, with contributions from Rainczak's staff and the First Nations communities, to deliver the project efficiently, successfully and in a culturally suitable manner.
"First, we had to figure out how to approach the work, especially on a paved property with a number of structures," explains Sharp. "We went through an options analysis, where each option was assigned points based on factors like technical feasibility, cost and reduction of risks to human health and the environment. The best plan was to undertake a single project in which we would clean up 3 priority areas, known as hotspots." Contaminated soil in the hotspots would be excavated and disposed of at an approved facility. That involved stripping asphalt to access the pollutants in certain parts of the hotspot areas and then restoring the entire site to its former condition. "We took down a shed that wasn't replaced, but the dig areas were backfilled with clean soil, and we did some repaving," says Sharp.
The Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations participated in the project in several capacities. Salish Sea Industrial Services, a company in which these communities have significant ownership, was awarded 5% of the value of the competitive contract. The company participated in the excavation and shed demolition work. Moreover, since the harbour has a rich Indigenous heritage, there is always a possibility of finding artifacts of cultural significance underground. As such, an archaeologist was onsite throughout the excavation, and representatives from the First Nations formed part of a dig monitoring team.
When it came to challenges that arose in the course of the project, Sharp and Rainczak relied on their people and professional prowess to develop solutions. "We ran into a few physical constraints, including fences, hydro poles and shore erosion, that forced us to adapt our equipment and strategies. For example, we had to reduce the footprint of the excavation, and we also ended up doing some manual digging and reinforcing the shore areas," says Sharp. Meanwhile, after finding unexpected utility lines, Rainczak and the dock's electrical and yard staff had to decide which ones to remove and which to keep in place for future use. "All the work was required as part of our support for the site's ecological health."
A cleanup and comeback
Projects of this nature are vital for many reasons. "We're ensuring that the landscape and users of the site are protected from exposure to contaminants," Sharp notes. More broadly, the work is important for the rehabilitation of Esquimalt Harbour. "We're partnering with the area's First Nations to improve the state of the harbour because that's meaningful to them," Rainczak underscores. "They want to fish and hunt here for generations. So any remediation projects we take on at our harbour assets, like the dock, represent progress in bringing the area back to what it was."
Learn more about the Esquimalt Graving Dock and additional projects that have been undertaken by PSPC at this site. The Government of Canada also provides details about a mandatory minimum 5% Indigenous procurement target. For other articles about PSPC people and projects, visit Our stories.
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