An award-winning project showcasing innovation and design!
Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. and Keystone Environmental Ltd. designed, constructed and deployed reef structures, with enhanced bottom sediments, for a Canadian National Railway sustainability initiative. This pilot program repurposed concrete rail-ties to build marine reefs in a Prince Rupert working harbour. The reefs will improve productivity of fish and marine life by increasing habitat vertically. Initial dive monitoring five months after installation showed marine life already beginning to use the reef structures as habitat. This initiative received wide scale support from the local community, First Nations, and local, Provincial and Federal Government. Transport Canada approved the project under the Navigation Protection Act after extensive consultations with the Prince Rupert Port Authority and local First Nations, including Kitsumkalum, Lax Kw’alaams Band, Gitga’at Nation, Gitxaala Nation, Meklakatla First Nation and Kitselas First Nation.