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Surrey Bend park eyed for fish habitat upgrade

Project would offset damage caused by South Fraser Perimeter Road
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Map of Surrey Bend Regional Park

The province wants to spend money improving salmon habitat in Surrey Bend Regional Park to offset damage caused by construction of the South Fraser Perimeter Road.

Metro Vancouver has not yet approved the idea, which would require the region altering its park plan and perhaps changing where it intended to develop trails and other infrastructure in the park.

Surrey Bend, which fronts the Fraser River just west of Barnston Island, isn't yet open to the public and work is to start in 2014 on trails, washrooms, a picnic area and parking lot.

The province's Transportation Investment Corp, which is leading the perimeter road work, would build new tidal channels in the southeastern part of the park, enhance existing channels and remove other barriers to fish.

Metro let the TI Corp build similar fish habitat upgrades at Colony Farm Regional Park to offset Port Mann/Highway 1 impacts, despite opposition from some environmentalists who warned bird habitat would be lost.