Of the 100 most expensive infrastructure projects in Canada, 18 are right here in BC, according to a report published on Monday by ReNew Canada -- a national magazine dedicated to public sector infrastructure.
ReNew updates the list of ongoing projects annually, with a majority of the projects carried over from year to year, and a handful of projects leaving the list due to completion or added to the list if commenced since the previous list.
The 2023 list includes 11 new projects, which total to approximately $10B, ReNew says. The complete list of 100 projects totals to an estimated value of $273B.
READ: 10 Major Developments Coming To Metro Vancouver in 2023
By sector, transit infrastructure projects led the way, with a total of 25 projects underway, valued at $120.6B, followed by the energy sector with 11 projects valued at $50.7B, and the buildings sector with 30 projects valued at $45.4B. Rounding out the top five were the transportation sector with 19 projects valued at $28.2B, and the wastewater, remediation, and communication sector with 15 projects valued at $28B.
Here are the 10 most expensive infrastructure projects in BC.
The Site C Clean Energy Project
2023 Rank: 1
Project Value: $16B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2025
The Site C Dam. (BC Hydro)
Not only did the Site C Clean Energy Project top the BC list, it also topped the national list as well, like it did in 2022.
The project was first proposed back in the 1950s as the Province looked to add another dam to supply electricity to the region, and has been shelved multiple times before the turn of the century, before being revived again in the 2010s under Premier Gordon Campbell.
In recent years, the project has been a consistent point of contention, in-part because some believe it violates a treaty signed with the West Moberly First Nation in 1899, but also because the budget for the project has nearly doubled from its 2014 estimate.
Nonetheless, the project continues to commence, and, once complete, will be operated by BC Hydro and provide enough electricity to power 450,000 homes each year.
Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
2023 Rank: 8
Project Value: $9.9B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2026
Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, currently. (Metro Vancouver)
The existing Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant services communities in Vancouver, the UBC Endowment Lands, as well as parts of Richmond and Burnaby.
Due to the facility nearing the end of its service life, Metro Vancouver is renewing the plant with a variety of upgrades, such as improving seismic standards, accounting for future sea level rises, greenhouse gas reductions, and energy efficiency.
As part of the project, 20 smaller ecological projects will also be carried out to enhance the wetlands habited by birds and wildlife near the site.
Fraser River Tunnel Project
2023 Rank: 19
Project Value: $4.150B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2030
A rendering of the completed Fraser River Tunnel Project. (Province of British Columbia)
The Fraser River Tunnel Project, also referred to as the Highway 99 Tunnel Project, will replace the existing George Massey Tunnel that crosses the Fraser River and connects Richmond to Delta.
The new toll-free eight-lane tube-tunnel will include three vehicle lanes and a dedicated transit lane in each direction, as well as a separated corridor for cyclists and pedestrians.
As part of the project, the existing tunnel will be removed (after the new one opens), and the nearby Deas Slough Bridge will also be replaced.
Surrey-Langley SkyTrain Extension
2023 Rank: 20
Project Value: $4.010B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2028
Map of the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension. (TransLink)
The region of Metro Vancouver south of the Fraser River continues to grow steadily, and ahead of more growth that's expected in the City of Surrey, the City of Langley, and the Township of Langley, the Province and TransLink are extending the existing Expo Line along the Fraser Highway, from King George Station to Langley City Centre.
The 16-kilometre extension will include eight new SkyTrain stations, with three of them including bus transit exchanges, and the neighbourhoods surrounding some of the stations are also expected to undergo separate development, as part of BC's emphasis on transit-oriented communities.
Broadway Subway Project
2023 Rank: 26
Project Value: $2.825B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2025
The Broadway Subway Project map. (TransLink)
One of the more anticipated infrastructure projects in BC, the Broadway Subway Project is a 5.7-kilometre extension of the Millennium Line SkyTrain from the existing VCC-Clark Station to Arbutus Street, with six new stations along Broadway, including stations in Mount Pleasant, at City Hall, Vancouver General Hospital, and South Granville Street, the latter of which will be integrated into a 40-storey high-rise.
A further extension of the Millennium Line that would begin from the future Arbutus Street Station and end at UBC is also in the works, but funding for the UBC Extension has not been completely secured yet.
St. Paul's Hospital
2023 Rank: 33
Project Value: $2.174B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2027
A rendering of new St. Paul's Hospital. (Providence Health Care)
Generally referred to as new St. Paul's, the new facility will serve as an acute-care hospital and will be home to several province-leading programs and referral centres, including for heart and lung care, eating disorders, and transplants, and will also include a new research centre.
New St. Paul's will also serve as the heart of the False Creek Flats, which is amidst a wave of redevelopment that the City of Vancouver hopes will increase employment in the area from 8,000 to over 30,000, with an emphasis on innovation in the life sciences sector.
Robert Banks Terminal 2
2023 Rank: 38
Project Value: $2B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2030
(Port of Vancouver)
The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project is being led by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and will be funded by the authority and private investment, not tax dollars.
It will be located in Delta, in deep, sub-tidal waters in order to minimize environment effects, and involve the construction of a new three-berth marine container terminal to further support Canadian trade, particularly with Asia.
Kamloops to Alberta Highway 1 Upgrades
2023 Rank: 41
Project Value: $1.705B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2026
(Province of British Columbia)
In 2021, the Province of BC announced that it was committing $837M towards upgrading the stretch of Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway) between Kamloops and Alberta, with further funding provided by the Government of Canada.
The project includes seven distinct sections, as the stretch of Highway 1 includes portions under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transpiration and Infrastructure, as well as some under that of Parks Canada.
Royal Columbian Hospital Redevelopment
2023 Rank: 47
Project Value: $1.49B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2026
A rendering of the redeveloped Royal Columbian Hospital. (Fraser Health Authority)
The second of three health infrastructure projects in BC that made the list, Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster is BC's oldest hospital, so redevelopment and upgrades are overdue, and will be unfolding in three phases, which will ultimately increase its capacity by 50%.
Phase One has already completed construction, in the form of the Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre. Phase Two will include a new acute-care tower, bed capacity upgrades, and is currently under construction, set to complete in 2025. Phase Three will then upgrade and expand parts of the building to support the Phase Two component.
Burnaby Hospital Redevelopment
2023 Rank: 51
Project Value: $1.4B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2028
A rendering of the redeveloped Burnaby Hospital. (Fraser Health Authority / Province of British Columbia)
Like the Royal Columbian Hospital redevelopment, Burnaby Hospital is undergoing a redevelopment of its own, also by the Fraser Health Authority.
The redevelopment of Burnaby Hospital will include two new patient care towers, a new cancer centre, as well as renovations and expansions of existing buildings.
Phase One will include the Keith and Betty Beedie Pavilion, a six-storey tower building with 83 beds, as well as the Jim Pattison Surgery Centre, which will include additional operating rooms, as well as pre-op and post-op recovery spaces. Phase One is expected to be completed by 2026.
Phase Two will begin in 2025, and will include another new patient care building, in addition to a new BC Cancer Centre, a new medical imaging department, emergency department renovations and expansion, and additional public parking. Phase Two is scheduled to be completed by 2028.
The remaining eight infrastructure projects in BC that made the list of 100 were: the Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project (#52), the Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion (#54), the CFB Esquimalt A/B Jetty Recapitalization Project (#58), the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program (#59), the Cowichan Hospital Redevelopment (#69), the Richmond Hospital Redevelopment (#71), the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement Project (#84), and the Centerm Expansion Project (#95).
