Replacement of Shoreline Trail boardwalks will bring safety and accessibility improvements

The City of Port Moody will replace aging boardwalks and bridges along the Shoreline Trail to improve safety and accessibility for trail users.

At the end of Burrard Inlet’s Port Moody Arm, the Shoreline Trail includes two sections of boardwalk, four bridges, and a raised gravel pathway around Pigeon Cove, as well as a paved multi-use pathway. This area is one of Port Moody’s most widely used trails, hosting over 230,000 visits a year. In addition to being an important recreational area for the community, this is a critical ecosystem area for fish, birds, and other wildlife. 

Project overview

The boardwalks were originally constructed by City crews over 30 years ago as part of a larger trail system connecting Rocky Point Park to Old Orchard Park across the tidal mud flats and marshes. These unique wooden structures are aging and are frequently covered by water during king tides and storm surges. In 2021 an engineering assessment determined that the boardwalks and bridges will need to be replaced within the next few years, and City staff began the process of planning for this trail renewal.

The need to replace this infrastructure became visibly clear following the failure of one of the trail bridges during a high tide in December 2022. The section of the Shoreline Trail where the damaged bridge is located (along the lower gravel path at Pigeon Cove, north of Murray Street and west of the section of the upper paved path that runs from Murray Street to Old Orchard Park) remains closed for safety reasons. City staff are exploring an interim bridge repair option, with the goal of temporarily reopening this section of the trail for summer-time use. Updates, when available, will be posted to portmoody.ca/roadwork and the Shoreline Trail web page.

In collaboration with the In the Presence of Ancestors project, the Shoreline Trail Boardwalk Replacement Project will include the addition of a viewing platform, to be located near the junction of the lower gravel path and the Trasolini Field access point. The platform, which will allow for safe access to a popular viewpoint while minimizing environmental impact, will be an extension of the boardwalk and the site of a new house post from q̓ic̓əy (the Katzie First Nation).

In the Presence of Ancestors, under the artistic direction of Tasha Faye Evans, is a project that reasserts the presence of the original caretakers of Coast Salish lands and waters. Visit the In the Presence of Ancestors page for more information.

Benefits

Redesigning and replacing the boardwalks provides a valuable opportunity to bring improvements to this popular area. These include:

• safety – the new boardwalk will be raised and include railings to improve safety and ensure it is adaptable to rising sea levels due to climate change;
• accessibility – design elements, such as widening the boardwalks and reducing the grade of the path where it connects with bridges, will improve accessibility for trail users;
• longevity – the new boardwalk is designed to ensure the infrastructure has a long lifespan;
• ecosystem rehabilitation – considerations include reducing unsafe access to the mudflats to minimize damage to this critical ecosystem, and environmental restoration such as relocating bridge abutments outside of creeks, removing invasive plants, plant salvage, and ecological restoration of the salt-water marsh; and
• support for community initiatives – increased opportunities for education and outreach programs for local stewardship groups, as well as community-based nature and observation events.

Next steps

Many steps in the planning process remain, including more information-sharing with the community. Staff will be onsite to answer questions and share information at two outdoor pop-ups on the trail. We anticipate the pop-ups will be held in late June 2023; we will share more detailed information as soon as it becomes available.

Other important steps are in progress such as:

• engagement with Rights Holder First Nations;
• environmental and archeological permitting; and
• final engineering design for boardwalks and bridges.

Construction is scheduled to start in the fall of 2023 pending completion of all steps in the planning process and receipt of favourable tenders from qualified contractors. Construction timing will follow environmental regulations.

The approved budget for the project is $3.15 million; the budget will be increased pending the outcome of grant applications.

For more information about the Shoreline Trail Boardwalk Replacement Project, please visit portmoody.ca/shorelineboardwalk. On the project web page, you’ll also find an online comment form, which you can use to submit a question or share a comment.