Skip to content

B.C. Hydro to continue Rock Bay cleanup on Victoria waterfront

Hydro agrees to stabilize two heritage buildings, but demolish a third

B.C. Hydro is committed to completing the remediation of its properties around Rock Bay, and has agreed to heritage designations on two buildings on the site.

B.C. Hydro plans to stabilize the Administration Building at 502 Pembroke St. and the Rock Bay Warehouse at 2110 Store St.

The former instrumentation building at 512 Pembroke St., however, will be demolished – despite being on the city's heritage registry – because a high concentration of hazardous waste sits directly under the structure.

Coun. Pam Madoff called the agreement a success.

"Hydro has voluntarily designated two important heritage buildings," she wrote in an email to the **News. "Many years ago Hydro's position was that they wished to demolish all three buildings."

The city has targeted these contaminated lands as a key part of its economic development strategy. It has identified the Rock Bay area as a future employment centre.

Remediation work on the site began in the late 1980s, but stalled more recently due to the complexity of the work and jurisdictional issues between B.C. Hydro and Transport Canada.

Work recommenced on the property in the 2000s and was completed mid-decade.

rholmen@vicnews.com