Port Moody is looking to replace the Inlet Boardwalk running along its shoreline trails.
The project aims to replace and expand the popular boardwalk, build new viewing platforms, install a House Post in partnership with local First Nations, and make the boardwalk more accessible and safe.
The city wants to spend between $3 million and $4 million for the project, depending on how much grant money can be secured from the federal government. Council voted to apply for $2.4 million through the federal government’s Green Infrastructure program on Nov. 8.
Local news that matters to you
No one covers the Tri-Cities like we do. But we need your help to keep our community journalism sustainable.
The current boardwalk was constructed in the late 1980s, linking Rocky Point Park to Old Orchard Park across the mudflats and marshes at the far end of the Burrard Inlet.
A structural assessment of the boardwalk and its bridges was conducted in 2021, finding immediate and near-term issues that need to be addressed, said Anna Mathewson, the city’s general manager of community services.
The new boardwalk would replace the old timber, address sea-level rise and ongoing flooding issues, according to the staff report.
Mathewson said that king tides and storm surges frequently submerge the boardwalk and inundate sections of the gravel trails, impacting recreational use and maintenance requirements.
She said the viewing platforms are in the final design phase, and their locations have not been decided yet, but are planned to overlook the “scenic vista” of the Port Moody Arm.
The city wants to increase the length of the current 145 metre boardwalk to a maximum of 440 metres, but the extent of the renovations will depend on funding, according to Mathewson.
This would allow for a raised boardwalk along the entire length of the trail between Pigeon Cove and Noons Creek, according to the staff report.
Salt marsh restoration would also take place in areas previously covered by gravel trails.
If the city’s grant applications are successful, 71 percent of the total $4 million would be covered, and nearly $2 million could be returned to the city’s overdrawn reserves, according to the staff report.
