Six months ago, Squamish Terminals’ east dock was ravaged by a fire that spewed black smoke into the air and forced residents indoors.
Now, work is set to begin to rebuild the structure, says Squamish Terminals.
The operation announced Friday that it is ready to begin the rebuilding process.
“We wish the team at Squamish Terminals much success in executing this important project,” said Tom Rasmussen, CEO for Greig Star Shipping, which owns Squamish Terminals.
The process is set to begin in early November with mobilization of equipment at the site. Some construction schedule details are still being finalized.
Kim Stegeman-Lowe, vice-president of administration for Squamish Terminals, told The Squamish Chief that the initial work will focus on densification of the site, and during that time, it might not appear to the public like a lot of activity is happening. The densification work will be to ensure that the location is designed to handle any seismic issues. The operation has also lined up its permits to proceed.
Squamish Terminals has continued to handle a similar cargo volume through its west dock, said Stegeman-Lowe, with an emphasis on “safety first.”
“We’re continuing to run our operation out of one dock,” she said. “Obviously, with any loss like this, there’s things that need to be considered.”
Fraser River Pile and Dredge will oversee the rebuilding process with additional subcontractors likely to handle specific aspects of the project.
“They’ve been encouraged to use local contractors and suppliers where possible,” Stegeman-Lowe said.
The new east dock is planned to be approximately the same size as the one destroyed by the fire, although it will be a steel and concrete structure. As well, the project will see the construction of a gangway platform that will allow Squamish Terminals to make best use of its operating capacity at the site, in addition to enhancing safety.
“We’re going to make sure the waterways are safe,” Stegeman-Lowe added
To keep the public informed about the work, Squamish Terminals will be providing updates at its website at www.sqterminals.com. Stegeman-Lowe said the site will include timelines and other information on the construction – for example, completion of work to ensure no harm is done to fisheries by a window that runs to the end of January.
There will be other key construction milestones along the way for the project, which Squamish Terminals aims to finish in less than a year.
“We’re hoping to be substantially complete by the end of the summer,” Stegeman-Lowe said. “It’s not every day that you build a dock of this size.”
The east dock was destroyed by a fire that began the night of April 16. Officials did not find any cause for suspicion and said it was probably the result of an electrical problem. The ensuing smoke forced the District of Squamish to issue a stay-indoors order until the smoke began to dissipate. The fire burned for three days.
