In This Week’s Editor’s Note:
- Tofino: $10 million building permit issued for the Clayoquot Biosphere Centre
- Courtenay: notice of upcoming procurement for intersection improvements
- Denman Island: over $4 million in upgrades for the Graham Lake Water system
Tofino: $10 million building permit issued for the Clayoquot Biosphere Centre
A building permit valued at $10,171,600 million has been issued for this three-storey, 10,464 sq.ft. cultural and community facility. The project is funded through a combination of donors, including First Nations communities, organizations, and municipalities. Construction is expected to commence once the archaeology permit is received and provincial funding support has been confirmed. In 2024, Naikoon Contracting was appointed as the project’s pre-construction manager. The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust purchased the bare building lot in 2019 with the intention of constructing the Biosphere to serve as a central gathering place for coastal communities, including the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, Ahousaht, Hesquiaht First Nation, Ucluelet First Nation, and Toquaht Nation.
Courtenay: notice of upcoming procurement for intersection improvements
The City of Courtenay has issued a notice of upcoming procurement for intersection improvements at 5th Street & Cliffe Avenue. As proposed, the project will remove the northbound right-turn channel for the addition of a fourth crossing on the east side of the intersection. Funding for the removal of the right-turn channel is estimated at $600,000 through the Traffic Signal Renewal Program. The tender is anticipated to be released in March and awarded in April with construction to start in May 2026.
Denman Island: over $4 million in upgrades for the Graham Lake Water system
Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) will not provide a grant deadline extension for the Graham Lake Water Service without treatment technology selection and a completed assent process for borrowing. This puts the project in a difficult position as loss of funding and progressive penalties from Island Health for non-compliance with drinking water standards will add to the cost of the project, but without additional funding, there is a higher potential that electoral assent won’t be successful. Staff have determined the risk of losing the existing grant funding necessitates proceeding without confirmation of additional grant funding, and will now proceed with treatment selection and the assent process. Expected timelines are as follows: Feb 2026 staff will report on pilot project results, treatment options analysis and fire flow analysis recommended treatment technology and level of fire protection; March 2026 staff will initiate electoral assent process; and June 2026 staff report on outcome of electoral assent process. Should the electoral assent process be successful, the design of the treatment upgrade could occur mid to late 2026 with tendering and permitting late 2026 to early 2027. Construction of the treatment upgrade would then proceed between early 2027 to early 2028. The project cost in 2023 with construction and indirect costs was estimated at $4.2 million.
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