Neighbours of the BC Ferries terminals in Crofton and Chemainus can expect extra noise over the next few months due to planned construction at the two facilities.
North Cowichan council voted at a meeting on July 9 to relax the municipality’s noise bylaw restrictions while the work is underway. BC Ferries intends to complete a number of safety-related repairs to the timber trestle at the Chemainus ferry terminal from July 15 to the end of August, and complete berth-upgrade work and geotechnical drilling at the Crofton ferry terminal starting in early September, and possible test drilling in August.
North Cowichan’s noise bylaw restricts the typical noise coming from construction sites to the hours between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
According to a staff report by Kim Ferris, North Cowichan’s manager of bylaw and business licensing, the work at the Chemainus terminal is planned to mainly occur during the day between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, but some work will need to be completed during night shifts between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
She said the installation of a new timber pile will have the most notable noise impacts for residents surrounding the Chemainus terminal.
BC Ferries completed an engineering inspection of the infrastructure at the Chemainus terminal last year that identified the need to replace and repair several structural elements of the timber trestle, vehicle ramp and pontoon to maintain safe operation of the berth.
“The pile installation will take one night near the end of July and will include periodic noise disturbances as the timber pile is installed using a drop hammer,” Ferris said.
“Other night work includes additional repairs to the approach trestle. This work is expected to take five nights, also near the end of July, and will involve the occasional use of chainsaws and other tools, including hammers and equipment for cutting and installing elements.”
Ferris said the work at the Crofton terminal is scheduled to take place between Aug. 18 and Sept. 20, for a duration of five to 10 days between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
She said BC Ferries has indicated that the drilling produces minimal noise and that most of the noise will come from the tug boat engine as it moves the barge into and out of the berth at the beginning and end of the work.
“Staff believe there is no alternative but to allow the two projects to proceed outside the regular working hours,” Ferris said.
Mak Rokic, BC Ferries’ project manager for terminal construction, said that due to the importance of this work and after assessing various work methodologies, BC Ferries concluded that completing some of the work during night hours is the most feasible solution to expedite construction and minimize the length of disruption to nearby neighbours.
“Furthermore, construction at night avoids interrupting highly-utilized sailings during the peak summer period, which would lead to additional traffic congestion around the terminals and unnecessary operational constraints, including disruptions to essential ferry services for commuters and dangerous goods,” he said.
To address any public concerns over the noise, Ferris said BC Ferries will distribute service notices to residents within a 100-metre radius of the terminals and post them on the company's website.
She said the Crown corporation will also update the Chemainus Community Page that describes the upcoming work.
“An additional service notice will be prepared in advance of the night work that indicates the planned dates and expected noise levels,” Ferris said. “This proactive communication will give residents ample time to adjust their activities and schedules accordingly for both projects.”
