Westminster Pier Park has won a national Brownie Award from the Canadian Urban Institute.
The institute's Brownie Awards program recognizes leadership and innovation in a number of key categories, including sustainable remediation technologies and excellence in project development at the neighbourhood scale. The Westminster Pier Park project won in the category of sustainable remediation technologies and technical innovation, beating out three Ontario projects.
"It is an honour to have such an important project for our city recognized nationally," said Mayor Wayne Wright in a press release. "This award, like Westminster Pier Park, truly belongs to the citizens of New Westminster and all residents can feel justifiably proud of this achievement."
The 2011 Canadian Urban Institute Brownie Awards jury is comprised of representatives from 10 professional and industry associations including the Canadian Urban Institute and Canadian Institute of Planners/Ontario Professional Planners Institute; the BLOOM Centre for Sustainability; Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario; Federation of Canadian Municipalities; Building, Industry and Land Development; Ontario Association of Architects; Natural Resources Canada; and ReNew Canada.
"This award is reflective of the innovative work the city, our consultants and contractors have been doing as we transform a large former industrial section of our waterfront into a park for everyone to enjoy," said Jim Lowrie, the city's director of engineering services. "I'd like to recognize the efforts of both the British Columbia ministry of environment and our environmental remediation consultants, WorleyParsons, whose skill and expertise have been a tremendous asset over the course of the Westminster Pier Park project."
The City of New Westminster purchased the former industrial property on the city's waterfront for $8 million in 2009 and is redeveloping the riverfront site into a $25.1 million park. The city has received federal and provincial governments contributions for two-thirds ($16.6 million) of the project funding through the Build Canada Fund.
New Westminster also received a $105,500 brownfield grant from the province to help remediate the Westminster Pier Park site.
The Westminster Pier Park construction project was launched in 2009, following the successful purchase of a former industrial property located along the Royal City's waterfront by the City of New Westminster. At a cost of $25.1 million, the project is being made possible through generous financial contributions from the federal and provincial governments, which provided two-thirds ($16.6 million) of the project funding through the Build Canada Fund.
