FRPD is Canada’s largest dredging, marine and heavy civil construction contractor, with over a century of industry leadership.

CP Rail: Cascadia East Phase 4 Expansion Project

FRPD was contracted to construct a complex marine fish habitat to offset impacts from CP Rail’s track expansion in Burrard Inlet. The project area sits within a tight and busy marine corridor between Parkland, Island Tug & Barge, Westridge Marine Terminal and Shellburn properties.

Problem

The expansion required the creation of a high-functioning habitat system in a heavily trafficked industrial marine environment. Work had to be completed within narrow site boundaries, adjacent to multiple marine operators and under strict environmental oversight. Complex habitat features—including shallow and deep berms, enhanced intertidal zones and subtidal benches—required precise material placement using custom rock blends and specialty aggregates. Continuous communication with marine stakeholders was essential to maintaining safe vessel movements during construction.

Solution

FRPD delivered the complete habitat construction program, supported by a detailed marine communication plan to coordinate all daily operations and vessel activity. Crews installed deep and shallow berms using 30,000 m³ of custom rock, placed specialty habitat materials and repurposed reclaimed aggregates to meet sustainability goals.

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Key Facts
  • Built deep and shallow habitat berms using custom rock blends
  • Installed enhanced intertidal sandflats and edge habitat sandflats using tailored material mixes
  • Placed 1,000-mm boulders and recycled oyster shells to create diverse intertidal habitat features
  • Constructed subtidal bench zones using cobbles and sand for deeper-water habitat
  • Repurposed 4,000 m³ of reclaimed materials from previous FRPD projects
  • Implemented a marine communication plan to manage vessel traffic and ensure safe operations
  • Coordinated closely with local stakeholders, marine operators and nearby terminals
  • Worked under continuous monitoring by the owner’s environmental consultants and local First Nations teams

FRPD successfully delivered a high-functioning, sustainable fish habitat within one of Burrard Inlet’s most constrained marine zones—supporting CP Rail’s expansion while restoring ecological value to the shoreline.