Concerns over an aging concrete sewer pipe running underneath a sensitive fish habitat have resulted in plans for a repair and replacement project in Morrison Creek, near First Street in Courtenay. Work will take place from August 26 to September 13, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Monday to Friday, weather permitting.

Anne Guillo, the City of Courtenay’s communications coordinator, said the City has been working extensively with a biologist to prepare for the project. “Morrison Creek is home to several species of salmon and trout, and it’s also the only known habitat in the world for the Morrison Creek Lamprey,” said Guillo. “This is why it’s so important that we manage this project extremely carefully.”

Work crews will replace the existing concrete pipe with a new seamless pipe further upstream. They will also repair a storm culvert on First Street. The work will result in intermittent single lane closures on First Street near Willemar Avenue. Traffic control personnel will be on hand to assist all road users, including cyclists. Commuters are asked to please obey posted signs for the safety of road users and work crews.

While the City normally tries to avoid lane closures during back to school season, the work window is being guided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to ensure minimal disruption to the fish habitat. A biologist will be monitoring work done at the site.

The City may also need to extend the work hours for one day in the first week of September to perform bypass pumping on the sewage line. “The sewage line needs to keep functioning throughout this project, and for one day we’ll need to bypass the line,” advised Guillo. “This means a generator will be required to keep the pipe flowing, possibly overnight, which will unfortunately produce some noise. We will be using the quietest generator possible to minimize the disruption to the surrounding neighbourhood.”

The City regrets any inconvenience caused by this project. For further information, please contact Matt Sanderson, AScT at McElhanney Consulting at 250-338-5495 or the Engineering Division at 250-334-4441, or email engineering@courtenay.ca.