Funded by regional stakeholder TI Corporation, the First Nations Fisheries Legacy Fund was established to facilitate the participation of the Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwikwetlem, Musqueam, Tsawwassen and Tsleil-Waututh communities in collaborative works that address the impacts to fish and fish habitat caused by continued industrialization and urbanization of the lower Fraser River. Our innovative First Nations Opportunities Plan provided for, facilitated and reported on employment and training opportunities we made available to First Nations individuals on this project.

Matcon Civil, through its joint venture with the Tsawwassen First Nation, was awarded the earthworks portion of the Surrey Bend habitat enhancement project, a politically and environmentally sensitive initiative that provided for the construction of 3.5km of large meandering-channel salmon habitat and accompanying berms. Works included the clearing of land, 45,000m3 of peat excavation and placement working on swamp pads during wet months and the placement of 15,000 tons of gravel preload. Also constructed were internal roads and pathways, a new vehicle road access and parking lot, and installed both a new aluminum pedestrian foot bridge and a steel equipment bridge structure.

Matcon Civil was awarded both phases of this multi-year development. Completed on time and under budget, this project included the construction of three infilled synthetic turf fields and warm-up area, extensive plaza, lighting and amenities. The challenging 25-acre site posed numerous site servicing, geotechnical and environmental challenges including highly variable poor soils, underlying domestic garbage, adjacent fish-bearing watercourses, wetlands, a raptor’s nest, subsurface methane gas and relatively steep terrain. A GVS&DD sanitary sewer underlain by compressible soils also traversed the site, presenting significant access and grade change concerns. Bridging over the sewer was required in order to provide access to the site and permit a staged filling program. Utilizing a new synthetic turf system, the facility is now the largest synthetic turf installation in North America and the first of its kind in Canada. Burnaby youth and community sports groups can now play year round on the three synthetic turf fields.