Delay for Hopkins Landing Dock Renovation Project

The Hopkins Landing Dock Renovation project, originally set to begin this week, has been postponed until late summer due to permitting delays.

Following an updated biophysical assessment of the marine habitat completed last week, it was determined that further planning is required to protect eelgrass and fish habitat during construction. Site-specific measures must be developed to avoid harming these important ecological areas.

As a result, the necessary permits to proceed with construction within the permitted in-water works timeframe required by the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act cannot be secured. With the in-water works window closing at the end of January, construction cannot move forward until it reopens in mid-August at the earliest.

“We have heard directly from the community about how important the dock and this project is to them,” said SCRD General Manager of Community Services, Shelley Gagnon. “While this delay is disappointing, we are committed to adhering to the permitting process set by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. We will work towards having all required permits in place by late summer, allowing work to proceed at that point.”

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) will continue to provide updates on the project through its Let’s Talk page at letstalk.scrd.ca/hopkins and on the SCRD website at www.scrd.ca.

For further information, community members are encouraged to stay connected through these channels.