Potential Risk of Failure of Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall

The City of Courtenay is notifying the public about the potential risk of failure to the Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall located along the west side of the Courtenay River, parallel to the 400-block of Anderton Avenue.

The City has been closely monitoring the Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall following a repair in 2016. The wall is made up of two sections – a 50-metre sheet pile section and a 210-metre concrete section. Monitoring has detected movement of the sheet pile wall, which indicates a risk of partial or total failure.

Failure may be a gradual slide toward the river, or a rapid collapse caused by a flood or seismic event. The risk of failure is much lower behind the concrete section of the wall, along Riverside Park.   

Private property owners and residents impacted by this risk have been notified directly, and the City will install warning signs in the affected area.

“This notification is a proactive measure to make property owners and residents aware of the condition of the Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall. We recognize that this information may be concerning, especially among impacted residents.” said Mayor Bob Wells “The City is completing additional structural inspections, and is actively working to determine a path forward for the impacted properties. We are committed to ongoing communication about this sensitive matter.”

The City of Courtenay will provide property owners and residents with further updates as additional information becomes available. To learn more about the risk to the Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall, visit www.courtenay.ca/andertonwall.