Dike Upgrade at Fraser Foreshore Park

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We are safeguarding the public, businesses and infrastructure by continuing to upgrade our diking system to 1:200 year water-level standard. Work is now complete on a 900-metre section of the Fraser River Dike in Fraser Foreshore Park. This section, known as Reach 8, extends from Glenlyon Creek to Byrne Creek, on the south side of Glenlyon Parkway. 

This was the last major section of dike to be upgraded along Burnaby’s 7-kilometre Fraser River frontage.

Impacts & Benefits

As part of this project, approximately 33 trees needed to be removed as well as some shrubs and hedges. We have strived to retain as many trees as possible, including making adjustments to the alignment of the dike. The 33 trees will be replaced with 190 new trees and 1,570 shrubs within the project boundaries. The project will also include salmon habitat enhancement.

At the end of this project, this section of dike and other unpaved sections will be paved, resulting in a 4-km paved path from Boundary Road in the west to the eastern end of Fraser Park Drive. This will be a wonderful amenity for residents to enjoy.  

The project budget was $6M and completed in early 2021. 

Stay Connected

We welcome your thoughts and comments online or by email to engineering@burnaby.ca. 

FAQs

• What is the length of Burnaby’s dike network?

  • Today it is 4.4 kilometres and once the Reach 8 project is complete it will be approximately 5.3 kilometres. The remaining portion of the 7-kilometre Fraser River frontage is mostly private properties.

• How much dike along the Fraser remains to be upgraded?

  • This is the last major section of dike requiring upgrade to the 1 in 200-year standard. The remaining sections are smaller, privately owned parcels. Some have been upgraded to the 1:200 standard, while others will be upgraded as they are redeveloped. These latter locations are included in our emergency response plan.

• When did the City of Burnaby begin upgrades to this standard?

  • The first dike upgrade as part of this program started approximately 20 years ago.

• Why must trees be removed?

  • As a city, we place a high priority on trees and green space. In all our projects, we strive to avoid removing trees as much as possible. In the case of this project we actually adjusted the alignment of the dike in some areas to prevent removal of trees of note. Trees must be removed if they are in the path, and provincial standards require a buffer zone near the foot of the dike, to prevent root systems from undermining the integrity of the dike. We have a robust tree bylaw; when a tree is cut down it must be replaced with one, two or three new trees depending upon the diameter of the tree removed.

• Will the trees be replaced?

  • We have a robust tree bylaw that applies to both public and private land. When a tree is cut down it must be replaced with one, two or three new trees depending upon the diameter of the tree removed. In the case of this project, the 33 trees will be replaced with 190 new trees and 1,570 shrubs within the project boundaries.

• Does the city have a flood management plan?

  • Yes. As required by the Emergency Program Act, the City has an Emergency Plan. Specific to the potential of flooding of the Fraser River, the City has prepared a Flood Management Guideline to address the potential of and consequences of flood inundation to low-laying areas of the alluvial plain in Burnaby along the Fraser River. The Flood Management Guideline is reviewed and updated annually.

• How wide will the paved path be?

  • The paved path will between three- and four metres wide.

• Will people still be able to walk through the park while construction is going on?

  • As much as possible, pedestrian on the trails will be maintained throughout construction. However, there may be periods when trails must be closed to ensure public safety.

• Are these dikes built with rising sea levels and the unpredictability of climate change in mind?

  • These dikes are built to the 1 in 200-year standard. The design is also built to easily accommodate additions responding to an up to 1.5m sea-level rise over next 100 years.

• What is a 1:200-year flood event?

  • Refers to a flood, which may occur in any given year, of such magnitude as to equal a flood having a 200-year recurrence period interval, based on a frequency analysis of unregulated historic flood records or by regional analysis where there is inadequate streamflow data available. The criteria was originally based on the 1894 flood event which affected a broad area of southern British Columbia as the largest flood recorded in modern times. (Source)