Pomerleau Inc. has been awarded a $55.45 million contract to demolish the existing “B” Jetty at the Royal Canadian Navy’s Dockyard Esquimalt, preparing the Vancouver Island site for future rebuilding work.
The existing jetties, “A” and “B”, were originally designed for ships that were smaller and lighter than today’s modern Canadian patrol frigates. As such, they are not long enough or deep enough to accommodate modern ships.
“This major infrastructure project has reached another important milestone with the awarding of the “B” Jetty Site Preparation contract to Pomerleau Inc.,” Defence minister Harjit S. Sajjan said in a statement. “The outdated jetties have served the Royal Canadian Navy well for over 70 years, but they are now well past their intended service life. The two new state-of-the-art jetties will greatly improve the ship-docking infrastructure for Canada’s naval vessels at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt.”
The government says the A/B Jetty Recapitalization Project represents a total investment of $781 million at the base. The project has the potential to create 1,400 jobs.
It is is divided into three phases to ensure that at least one jetty remains operational for the duration of the project. Following the demolition of “B” Jetty, the rebuilding of a new “B” Jetty will begin. Then the demolition and rebuilding of “A” Jetty will begin once “B” jetty is operational.
