Posted on May 23, 2026
Richmond city staff is recommending allocating $1 million towards clearing sediment buildup around Imperial Landing and Britannia Shipyards.
Currently, ramps and boats at Britannia Shipyards, including the heritage boat Silver Ann, are sitting on mud during low tide, putting them at risk of damage and making them inaccessible.
Dredging at Imperial Landing would also allow more boats to move and moor in the area, thereby, increasing revenues and access, according to a city staff report coming to the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Committee meeting next week.
The total project is estimated at $1.5 million, and would include $500,000 remaining from its previous dredging project budget.
City staff are also recommending an annual budget of $300,000 to continue to dredge Imperial Landing and Britannia Shipyards.
Meanwhile, the Steveston Harbour Authority is hoping a four-way funding agreement to dredge the Steveston Channel regularly will soon be in place.
This would include money from the province, the federal government, the Steveston Harbour Authority — through user fees — and the City of Richmond.
While the agreement isn’t in place yet, Steveston Harbour Authority general manager Jaime Gusto is hopeful that such an agreement would give stable funding to a continuing issue.
The harbour estimates it has to dredge every five to six years, and having steady funding coming in means they could plan it, rather than having to scramble for funds from different sources.
For its part, the harbour authority has been collecting fees from businesses that lease property at the harbour toward dredging.
“If we actually had a funding agreement… we could focus on other things,” Gusto told the Richmond News.
The city’s annual contribution, if the four-way partnership is solidified, would be $365,000.
At times, when the tide is low, fishing boats wait up to six hours to offload their fish. This means staff are waiting — being paid — until the vessel can come into the harbour, Gusto explained.
Other times, a fishery will open up with little notice, and might only be open for a limited time, sometimes as short as two days.
If boats are stuck in the harbour because of low tides, it cuts into their time to take advantage of the open fishery.
Deposits on the Fraser River floor are like reverse potholes, explained Gusto.
“People don’t think about what they can’t see,” she added.
If approved by city council, the $1 million for dredging Imperial Landing and Britannia Shipyards would be added to the 2027 budget.
