Public notice

Maintenance Dredging - Halo Sawmill– Public comments invited

June 9th, 2026 – As part of its Project and Environmental Review process, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority must determine whether the Maintenance Dredging - Halo Sawmill are likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. 

To help inform this determination and a decision on whether or not to approve the proposed project, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.  For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website. In addition, your contact information may be shared with third parties, e.g., the tenant, other relevant agencies, to help respond to your questions and inform possible mitigations.

Written comments must be submitted by July 8^th, 2026, to:

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Project and Environmental Review
100 The Pointe, 999 Canada Place
Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6C 3T4
per@portvancouver.com

The proposed project

Delta Forestry Group proposes to undertake maintenance dredging activities at the Halo Sawmill facility located at 17700 Fraser Dyke Road, Pitt Meadows, BC. The purpose of the works is to maintain navigable access and operational functionality at the existing barge berth by removing accumulated sediments and woody debris resulting from natural sediment deposition processes within the Fraser River.

The proposed works include targeted maintenance dredging within the existing water lot and previously maintained dredge footprint using a barge-mounted clamshell dredge. Dredging will focus on localized areas of accumulated sediment build-up (i.e., high spots) and is intended to restore previously established operational dredge depths rather than dredging the entire tenure area during each maintenance event. Dredged materials will be loaded directly onto barges and transported for disposal at an approved Disposal at Sea (DAS) site under existing authorization (e.g., Point Grey), or placed upland in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements where feasible.

The application indicates that dredged materials have been previously characterized and approved for disposal under applicable requirements, and that opportunities for beneficial reuse will continue to be evaluated prior to dredging events. Previous beneficial reuse opportunities included supplying dredged material to the Sturgeon Bank Sediment Enhancement Pilot Project for habitat restoration purposes.

The applicant proposes to conduct the works in accordance with applicable environmental protection measures and regulatory requirements, including implementation of sediment control and spill prevention measures, minimization of dredging duration where practicable, equipment inspection and maintenance procedures, and use of biodegradable hydraulic fluids where feasible. The works are proposed to align with applicable Fisheries and Oceans Canada routine maintenance dredging requirements and associated federal regulatory processes.