April Project Update: Major Milestone Reached
Construction contract awarded with shortened berth closure requirements
When we visited the community last spring, we heard about the importance around timelines, impacts and mitigations of the project planned for Heriot Bay and Whaletown Terminals.
Over the last several months, as our teams developed the detailed design, conducted procurement and reviewed the submissions, these continued to be key considerations as part of the design development and procurement process.
We are pleased to confirm that we have awarded the construction contract with a shortened closure time period and project efficiencies. What does this mean for the community?
- Shortened 3-week closure period for berth work: As part of the successful bid selection and collaboration with the general contractor, the closure window has been shortened to 3 weeks reduced from the original 6 weeks.
- Phase two of the project is no longer required: Plans now include having the new Heriot Bay terminal completed before the Whaletown terminal re-opens, eliminating the need for schedule changes for the Campbell River-Quadra Island route. This also updates the expected project completion to early Spring 2026.
- Earlier start date to pre-closure work: To support this shortened closure, temporary structures will be built at Heriot Bay terminal that will help service the route, and work will begin on these structures in May 2025. While the temporary structure is in use at Heriot Bay, there are no operational impacts expected requiring alternate service
Alternate service update:
The 3-week berth closure is still planned to begin February 2026.
With a more defined construction timeline, our teams are working to finalize a plan for mitigation and alternate service, including the request for proposal for both the water taxi and barge service to ensure people and goods can continue to travel during the closure.
In mid-March, the process started on selecting a barge or landing craft, which will provide service for the movement of essential goods and services during the shortened berth closure. The awarding of a contract, which will help finalize the alternate service planning, is expected to be completed in late May.
You can view the draft plans for alternate service here: Draft Alternate Service Plan
Island Class vessel on track for summer 2026!
Terminal project work, at both Whaletown and Heriot Bay terminals, is to support the increased capacity with the introduction of an Island Class Vessel to the route servicing Cortes Island.
The delivery of the vessel to this route is currently ahead of schedule and is expected to enter into service at the completion of this project, Spring 2026.
Save the date: Coming to Cortes and Quadra Island –May 23 and May 25
Our project teams, local operations teams, and community relations team look forward to visiting the islands this May to provide an update on the upcoming work.
The purpose of this information session will be to provide further details about each phase of work, what to expect during alternate service, and to help answer your questions.
Dates and times for the events are listed below. More information, including locations and how to register for these events, will be provided in the coming weeks.
Quadra Island Event:
Date: Friday, May 23, 2025
Time: 4:30pm – 6:30pm
Cortes Island Event:
Date: Sunday, May 25, 2025
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Online opportunities to participate will also be available and will be open for feedback beginning May 1, 2025.
Stay up to date by subscribing on this page.
Our next update, event details and RSVP will be shared at the end of April.
