Canada and Vancouver celebrate improvements to Stanley Park Seawall

LE CANADA ET VANCOUVER CÉLÈBRENT L’AMÉLIORATION DE LA PROMENADE DU PARC STANLEY

October 29, 2010 (No. 52) –Construction is currently underway in Stanley Park to rehabilitate three sections of the iconic seawall, including areas near Second Beach and Sunset Beach. The lower portion of the Brockton Point Lighthouse, one of the seawall’s integral components, is also being reconstructed. These upgrades will improve protection from high tides and storm surges, reduce long term maintenance costs, and improve pathways for the millions of pedestrians and cyclists that use the park seawall each year.

Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway was joined by City of Vancouver and Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation officials today to view progress on the work being done.

"The Stanley Park Seawall is one of the most scenic and popular destinations in Vancouver, attracting over two million residents and visitors each year," said Minister Day. "These upgrades will improve the structural and surface conditions of the seawall, ensuring that it remains a safe, vibrant venue for generations to come."

"By partnering with the Government of Canada, we are making significant improvements to this iconic Vancouver site," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. "The Stanley Park seawall is visited by millions of people from around the world, and having it in good repair will ensure its strength for decades to come."

"The Stanley Park seawall has been an important recreation destination for residents and visitors for over 90 years," said Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation chair Aaron Jasper. "These much-needed repairs have accelerated the renewal of this very popular and well-loved landmark."

The upgrades to the Stanley Park Seawall include replacing the old masonry sections with granite-faced concrete seawall at Second Beach and repaving the walking surface of the seawall between Lumberman's Arch and Brockton Point.

The Government of Canada and the City of Vancouver are each contributing $2 million, under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The total eligible cost for this project is $4 million.

Federal support for this project is being provided through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. As part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is providing funding to close to 4,000 infrastructure projects across the country.

Since March 2009, over 400 projects have received a total federal investment of over $500 million under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund across British Columbia.

Stanley Park Seawall, before 2010 reconstruction	Stanley Park Seawall, during reconstruction, September 2010	Stanley Park Seawall, reconstructed wall nearing completion, October, 2010

Minister Stockwell Day (far left) shakes hands with Park Board Chair Aaron Jasper
while Deputy Mayor Kerry Jang (middle left) and Park Board General Manager Malcolm Bromley look on

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For more information on the Economic Action Plan, please visit: www.actionplan.gc.ca.

Contacts:

John Babcock Office of the Honourable Chuck Strahl Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities 613-991-0700 Infrastructure Canada 613-948-1148 Toll free: 1-877-250-7154

City of Vancouver Corporate Communications 604-871-6336 media@vancouver.ca Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Joyce Courtney, Manager of Communications 604-257-8699 604-861-4375 (cell)