Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has approved the request by BC Hydro for property rights in portions of Nelson Park as the West End Substation Project moves forward. The Park Board will receive $8 million in return.
The funds provided by BC Hydro will be used by the Park Board to move forward with improving parks in the West End and help ensure Nelson Park continues to meet the needs of the growing community.
In February 2022, the Park Board approved BC Hydro’s request PDF file (1.6 MB) for rights-of-way through a section of Nelson Park to allow for construction of underground distribution and transmission lines. Additionally, BC Hydro requested driveway access to provide shared entry to the future school and underground substation at the Lord Roberts Annex property.
“Knowing the substation project at the Lord Roberts Annex property adjacent to Nelson Park was moving ahead meant shifting from our more familiar role as those who build and maintain parks and public amenities, to ensuring the least amount of disruption possible to the park,” explains Donnie Rosa, general manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. “Another aspect of our role in this was to ensure reasonable compensation from BC Hydro on behalf of the park users who will be impacted by this project.”
Nelson Park provides critical access to nature for West End residents and is a space used for health, wellness, and leisure. There are currently 20,000 residents living within a 10-minute walk of Nelson Park and the population of the West End is expected to grow by 30,000 over the next 30 years.
“We’re committed to delivering safe and reliable power to our customers in downtown Vancouver,” says Chris O’Riley, president and CEO of BC Hydro. “The rights of way access in Nelson Park is an important component for a new underground substation in the West End that will serve the downtown core for generations to come.”
BC Hydro believes construction for the underground substation, adjacent to Nelson Park, could begin as early as 2024, with estimated project completion in 2029.
