During the first few month in 2017 the Project Board worked to develop the project to a point where construction could proceed. Activities in this development phase included:

• Writing the Project Charter
• Finalizing a construction schedule for the McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Finalizing the Project Agreement for the McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant with the contractor, Harbour Resource Partners (HRP)
• Developing procurement plans and schedules for the conveyance, collection and residual solids treatment parts of the Project
• Finalizing funding agreement with senior levels of government
• Obtaining necessary zoning and land use approvals
• Obtaining First Nations support
• Finalizing required permits and licenses

In April 2017, the project entered the first phase of construction.

January 10, 2017 – Geotechnical Work begins at McLoughin Point (Information Bulletin)

January 11, 2017 – Design Review Committee for the Township of Esquimalt meets to review the Development Permit for the Wastewater Treatment Plant at McLoughlin Point

January 11, 2017 – Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Team participates in a James Bay Community Association Meeting to share information about the Wastewater Treatment Project (Information Boards)

January 11, 2017 – Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Team provides information at the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association Land Use Committee Meeting regarding the Clover Point Pump Station Rezoning (Information Boards)

January 12, 2017 – The Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Team hosts an Open House to provide more information on the Wastewater Treatment Plant (Information Boards)

January 14, 2017 – The Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Team hosts a second Open House to provide more information on the Wastewater Treatment Plant (Information Boards)

January 17, 2017 – Advisory Planning Commission meeting takes place in Esquimalt regarding the zoning for the Wastewater Treatment Plant at McLoughlin Point

January 23, 2017 – The Township of Esquimalt hosts an Open House to discuss the Amenity Package that is associated with the Wastewater Treatment Plant at McLoughlin Point

February 20, 2017 – Following a public hearing, the re-zoning application of Bylaw 2888 (which was initiated by the Township of Esquimalt) and the amenity agreements receive unanimous approved by Council.

February 23, 2017 – Following a public hearing, the CRD application to rexone the Clover Point Pump Station site to allow for the expansion of the existing pump station and related public realm improvements unanimously approved by Council.

February 27, 2017 – The Project team obtains the Development Permit for the Wastewater Treatment Plant on the McLoughlin Point site.

March 16, 2017 – Funding agreements with senior levels of governments are finalized and announced (News release)

In January, the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee (CALWMC) voted to begin public consultation on several options for wastewater treatment. The options ranged from a one plant option at Rock Bay to a seven plant distributed option with treatment plants located in several municipalities. Feedback was gathered on all of the options and presented to the CAWLMC in March of 2016.

After reviewing the feedback gathered from the public consultation process, the committee decided to select a two-plant option with plants located at Clover Point in Victoria and McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt. The plan was submitted and approved by the BC Minister of Environment as conditional amendment 10.

In a letter to the Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, the province expressed its support for an extension to the P3 Canada funding agreement which would expire on March 31, 2016. The letter also outlined how the province would facilitate and support the project to move forward. The funding extension was approved and the CRD agreed to work with the province.

In May, at the recommendation of the Provincial Minister of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development, the CRD Board adopted a Project Board approach, giving the Project Board delegated authority to undertake all aspects of business case planning, site acquisition, project management and expenditures.

From May until September, the Project Board reviewed all of the past technical work and related public comment and input. In September, the Project Board made a recommendation of a proposed plan to the CRD Board for a single treatment plant at McLoughlin Point. The recommendation was accepted by the CRD Board and was used to form Amendment 11 which was approved by the Ministry of Environment on the condition that a definitive plan for the beneficial reuse of biosolids be submitted to the Minister by June 30, 2019.

January 13, 2016 - The Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee (CALWMC) voted to begin consultation on a number of approaches to wastewater treatment in the Core Area (News Release). The committee also received Status Report #7 from the Technical Oversight Panel (TOP).

January 26, 2016 - A survey was launched as part of the public consultation on potential wastewater treatment options. There were education opportunities built into the survey for those learning the information for the first time and an opportunity to provide more detailed feedback for those wanting to give input on technical aspects of the project. (News Release)

January 27, 2016 - The CALWMC received Status Report #8 from the TOP.

February 10, 2016 - The CALWMC received Status Report #9 from the TOP and Technical Memorandum 3 from the engineering consultants. (February 2016)

February 24, 2016 - The CALWMC received the public consultation reports for consideration. The CALWMC also received Technical Memorandum 4 from the engineering consultants. A recommendation was put on the table for consideration for a single plant option at Rock Bay. A motion was also put forward to put the McLoughlin Point site back on the table for consideration. The motion was amended to examine the feasibility of locating facilities at either McLoughlin Point or Macaulay Point and Clover Point and a possible site to serve the Western communities (February 2016).

February 26, 2016 - The public consultation consultants presented their findings of the consultation on the option sets. After consideration of the consultation reports and the recommendation of the one plant option at Rock Bay, the CALWMC directed staff to work with consultants to undertake value engineering to explore a possible tertiary wastewater plant at either McLoughlin Point or Macaulay Point as an alternative to Rock Bay, a tertiary wastewater plant at Clover Point, with provisions for a 10 ML/D tertiary plant on the westside (February 2016).

March 9, 2016 - The CALWMC received a presentation on potential options that included sites at Clover Point, McLoughlin Point and Macaulay Point. The committee selected a two-plant treatment option with plants located at Clover Point and McLoughlin Point as a base case to form a conditional amendment. The committee also approved a parallel process where the CRD would invite the private sector to submit project concepts to evaluate against the option submitted as the conditional amendment. The CRD Board directed staff to refer these sites to both the City of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt for endorsement in principle (News Release). On this day, the CRD Board Chair and the CALWMC Chair met with Minister Polak to discuss next steps for the Project. In this meeting, the province offered to support the CRD through the concept call process and the CRD accepted the offer of support (Letter).

March 23, 2016 - In a letter to the Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, the province expressed its support for an extension to the P3 Canada funding agreement which currently expires on March 31, 2016. The letter from the Honourable Peter Fassbender also outlined how the province will facilitate and support the current process through a technology review and active facilitation support (News Release).

March 30, 2016 - Federal government approved extension of P3 funding to September 30, 2016 (Letter from P3 Canada).

March 30, 2016 - Provincial Minister of Environment approved conditional amendment 10 to the Liquid Waste Management Plan (MOE Approval Letter)

April 13, 2016 - Provincial Minister of Community, Sport and Development, Peter Fassbender, presented to the CALWMC outlining how the province would support the project in moving forward to meet the P3 funding deadline.

April 18, 2016 - The Federal Minister of Environment confirmed the CRD's risk designation status. The CRD is classified in the High Risk category for the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (Letter from MOE).

April 25, 2016 - The City of Victoria held an open house to collect feedback from residents regarding siting a treatment plant at Clover Point.

May 11, 2016 - At the CRD Board meeting, the Honourable Peter Fassbender, Provincial Minister of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development, presented recommendations to the CRD Board regarding a solution to move forward with the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project. The CRD Board approved the recommendations, including the recommendation to move forward with a Project Board approach (News Release).

May 25, 2016 - The CRD Board approved the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Board (CAWTPB) Terms of Reference.

June 9, 2016 - The CRD Board announced membership of the CAWTPB (News Release).

July 13, 2016 - The CAWTPB presented their July Report to the CRD Board.

August 10, 2016 - The CAWTPB presented their August Report to the CRD Board.

August 24, 2016 - The CAWTPB presented an Interim Report to the CRD Board outlining a short list of options for a wastewater treatment facility.

September 7, 2016 - The CAWTPB released a Final Report with a recommendation for a single treatment plant at McLoughlin Point.

September 14, 2016 - The CRD Board approved the recommendations put forward by the CAWTPB, which formed Amendment 11 of the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan (News Release)

October 3, 2016 – Chair of the CAWTPB along with representatives of the Wastewater Treatment Plant proponent, Harbour Resource Partners, their architects and landscape architects presented the project to the Committee of the Whole in Esquimalt to provide an initial opportunity to ask questions (October 2016)

October 12, 2016 – The CAWTPB presented their October Report to the CRD Board.

October 12, 2016 – CRD Board received approval from the Ministry of Environment for Amendment 11 of the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan on the condition that a definitive plan for the beneficial reuse of biosolids be submitted to the Minister by December 3I, 2017 (Letter form MOE)

October 12, 2016 – CRD Board received letter from P3 Canada granting an extension to the Conditional Financial Agreement to December 31, 2016 to allow time to negotiate an updated CFA to reflect the revised project (Letter from P3)

November 17, 2016 – CAWTPB Chair sends letter to Minister of Environment seeking clarification regarding the conditional approval of Amendment 11 (Letter to MOE)

November 18, 2016 – Minister of Environment responds with a letter clarifying the conditional approval of Amendment 11 and extending the deadline to submit the definitive plan for the beneficial reuse of biosolids to June 30, 2019 (Letter from MOE)

December 02, 2016 – Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Board Releases RFQ for the Residuals Treatment Plant at Hartland landfill (Information bulletin)

December 20, 2016 - Development permit application for the Wastewater Treatment Plant at McLoughlin Point submitted to the Township of Esquimalt by CRD/Project

In January 2015, the Eastside Select Committee, comprised of Saanich, Oak Bay and Victoria – was formed to develop a wastewater treatment plan for the Eastside municipalities.

The both the Westside Select Committee (formed in 2014) and Eastside Select Committee were leading in-depth public engagement activities to share information with the public, build trust, and seek public input on wastewater treatment in their communities.

In July 2015, both select committees presented their work and recommendations to the CALWMC. Between July 2015 and October 2015, the Engineering Team carried out rigorous technical analysis around potential treatment sites, system configuration and treatment technologies. In November, the Engineering Team presented its findings from the technical analysis, which outlined four option sets (1-plant, 2-plant, 4-plant, and 7-plant) for the Core Area. The committee approved the 4 option sets for costing and financial analysis, with a recommendation to look at a fully tertiary option at Rock Bay in Victoria. The results of the costing and financial analysis is scheduled to be presented at the December 9 CALWMC meeting.

Following the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Program Commission (formerly Seaterra Commission) meeting on July 31, 2015, Brenda Eaton, Commission Chair, announced that several steps have been completed to scale back operations and reduce costs as the Capital Regional District continued its planning work to find a new solution to wastewater treatment for the seven core municipalities. The Commission itself remains in place, under the name Core Area Wastewater Treatment Program Commission, waiting to implement whatever system of wastewater projects the CRD Board decides upon and is approved by the Province.

Intensive consultation took place after the CALWMC meeting on December 9 and included a range of opportunities for residents to give input on the costed option sets, including targeted meetings with community groups where sites were identified.

January 14, 2015 – The CRD Board approves the formation of the Eastside Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery Select Committee (Eastside Select Committee). (January 2015)

January 27, 2015 – Eastside Select Committee holds first meeting (January 2015)

March 11, 2015 – CALWMC and CRD Board accepts the Proposed Work Plan Overlay and directs staff to submit the plan to PPP Canada for consideration in reviewing the CRD Conditional Financial Agreement(CFA) extension request.

March 11, 2015 – The Eastside Select Committee Terms of Reference were approved by the CRD Board

March 13, 2015 – The Westside Select Committee releases Westside Solutions survey results. (Survey Report)

April 8, 2015 – CRD announces that they have signed an agreement with PPP Canada that will allow for a one year extension to make decisions on how to treat wastewater in the core area with the PPP Canada funding intact. (Media Release)

April 29, 2015 – Eastside Select Committee hosts first public briefing and dialogue at the Royal BC Museum (Media Release)

May 6, 2015 – Westside Solutions hosts roundtables (May 6, May 9, May 13). Each roundtable focused on a different theme – Siting and Community Integration, Resource Recovery, Cost and Level of Treatment. (Cover report)

May 14, 2015 – Eastside Select Committee launches an open public survey and a representative poll with Ipsos Reid to gather information from Eastside residents. (Representative Poll Report, Open Survey Report)

May 30 and 31 2015 – Eastside hosts siting workshops to share additional information about each technically feasible site. Citizens were asked to weigh in on how sites fared on things like livability, use of existing infrastructure or environmental concerns. (Eastside Site Profile)

June 10, 2015 – Eastside Select Committee ranks sites based on public feedback to date. (Site Ranking Presentation, Ranked Site Map)

June 18, 2015 – Westside Select Committee announces the location of 20 potential wastewater treatment sites in the Westside Communities. (Media Release, Site Profiles)

June 24, 2015 – Both Eastside and Westside publicly release wastewater treatment Option Sets (Eastside Option Sets) (Westside Option Sets). The public was asked to assist in narrowing the number of potential treatment options so that a detailed technical and costing analysis of a shortlisted number can be developed. Eastside Select Committee launches the online public feedback tool using the digital engagement platform Ethelo Decisions – closed on July 13 (Report). Westside Select Committee launches Feedback form titled Westside SiteSpeak – closed on July 22 (Report).

July 29, 2015 - the Westside and Eastside Select Committee’s put forward their recommendations on shortlisted scenarios for treating wastewater in the core area (July 2015).

Westside Select Committee Recommendations:

1. That the Westside Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery Select Committee recommend that the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee (CALWMC) and the Capital Regional District Board direct the Westside technical and public engagement teams to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation of SiteSpeak feedback and technical considerations, including a targeted engagement of new sites, and to report back to the CALWMC by mid-October 2015; and
2. That a meeting of Westside staff and the Technical Oversight Panel occur before any decisions narrowing Westside sites and options occur.

Eastside Select Committee Recommendations:

That the Eastside Select Committee recommends to the Core Area Liquid Waste Committee and to the Capital Regional District Board:

1. That the following Eastside solutions put forward for the next phase of costing and analysis be analyzed, costed and considered as they integrate with westside flows and proposed Westside solution:
   • Options 1a - centralized system at Rock Bay including a mix of public and private sites, co-location of wastewater and residuals treatment - sub-regional for all of the Eastside flows and for Eastside flows currently directed to the Clover Point outfall;
   • Option 1b - centralized, at Rock Bay including a mix of public and private sites, co-location of wastewater and residuals treatment - regional;
   • That all of the emerging sites from the Eastside reprioritization process including: Rudd Park; Municipal Precinct; Saanich Core; Saanich Public Works; Marigold Pump Station; Victoria Public Works Yard; BC Hydro; Transport Canada; Central Park; Clover Point Pump Station; Ogden Point; Shelbourne; Gordon Head; Penrhyn Pump Station; Trent Pump Station; Royal Jubilee and Windsor Park, be forwarded to the Technical Oversight Panel for general evaluation, including all of the information necessary to do the evaluation;
   • That the Technical Oversight Panel also be asked to advise as to how we could best canvas the private sector broadly to see what solutions they have to best meet the goals of this project; and
   • That the work be done simultaneously and concluded by the end of October at the latest.
2. That phase two costing of Eastside options includes the following treatment and recovery methods:
   • secondary and tertiary disinfected;
   • anaerobic digestion and gasification; and
   • potential for resource recovery and revenue generation.
3. That a meeting of Eastside staff and the Technical Oversight Panel occur.

July 31, 2015 – Core Area Wastewater Treatment Program Commission (formerly Seaterra Commission) announces that it has begun demobilization of the Seaterra Project Management Office. (Media Release)

August 12, 2015 - In order to ensure that the review process includes the necessary due diligence, is transparent, and committee members and the public have confidence in the findings, the following roles have been secured for the project (August 2015):

• Technical support to conduct the detailed analysis and engineering work: Urban Systems, partnered with Carollo Associates, was awarded the contract to conduct the Feasibility and Costing Analysis for the CRD Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan Wastewater Treatment System. (Scope of Work)
• Fairness and Transparency Advisory: Kim Cholette was selected as the Fairness and Transparency Advisor (FTA) to ensure that the process of costing the options, working with the host jurisdiction(s) and preparing an amendment to the Liquid Waste Management Plan is fair, transparent, impartial and objective.
• Technical Oversight Panel: In order to ensure that the rigorous costing and feasibility studies for the wastewater treatment options includes the necessary due diligence the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee (CALWMC) has selected six individuals to the Technical Oversight Panel (TOP). (Biographies) (Terms of Reference)

September 9, 2015 - the FTA’s Terms of Reference were adopted and the formal review process was launched. (Terms of Reference). The CALWMC received Status Report #1 from the TOP.

September 14, 2015 – Technical Oversight Panel workshop with Urban Systems and Carollo Associates

September 15, 2015 - Technical Oversight Panel public meeting

September 29, 2015 - Westside Select Committee received technical report regarding interim results of siting analysis. (Interim Findings Report)

October 2, 2015 - The CALWMC adopted the Project Charter outlining the goals, vision, roles/responsibilities, objectives, budget and schedule for the Core Area Sewage and Resource Recovery System 2.0 Project (Project Charter). The Committee also received the Technical Oversight Panel's Status Report #2.

October 14, 2015 - CALWMC confirmed design flow capacity, to be used in the costing and feasibility analysis (October 2015). The CALWMC also received TOP Status Report #3. At the October 14 Board meeting, the Board formally appointed Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation representatives to the CALWMC (October 2015).

November 4, 2015 - The CALWMC received a presentation from the Westside and Eastside public consultation consultants regarding the integrated activities and overall programs on public engagement and consultation for the upcoming months. Following this item, the committee endorsed a supplementary report, recommending to the Board an extension of the public consultation timeline to January 15. The TOP presented Status Report #4 and Urban Systems/Carollo presented draft Technical Memorandum #2, which outlined 4 solutions sets for the capital and life-cycle costing analysis. (November 2015)

All of the option sets provide the required level of secondary treatment and options for advanced tertiary treatment. Solids treatment is still under analysis by the Engineering Team as they continue to explore market opportunities and technologies for reuse. (News Release)

• The 7-plant distributed option has facilities located in Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Esquimalt, Rock Bay in Victoria, Saanich Core and East Saanich. Under the 7-plant option, Rock Bay would be a large central-type facility with possibilities for local water reuse, whereas the other 6 smaller plants would be able to provide tertiary treatment for water reuse around each plant, with the exception of the Langford and View Royal facilities, and heat recovery.
• The 4-plant sub-regional option has treatment facilities located at Rock Bay in Victoria, Esquimalt Nation, Colwood and East Saanich. The 4-plant model includes local water reuse possibilities at all four plants.
• The 2-plant option set includes a centralized plant at Rock Bay in Victoria to provide treatment for most of the Core Area, but also a facility in Colwood. At the Colwood facility, effluent would be reused for irrigation and aquifer recharge, contingent on Ministry approval. The large plant becomes the “alternative method of disposal” for the Colwood facility.
• The single plant option is proposed to be located at Rock Bay in Victoria. Additional costing analysis on the single plant option will be conducted to provide costing and financial information with regards to tertiary treatment at the Rock Bay facility in Victoria.

November 28, 2015 - The CALWMC received Status Report #5 from the TOP. The CALWMC also received a presentation from Urban Systems and Corallo regarding solids treatment and recovery options. (November 2015)

December 4, 2015 - The CRD released a report with new information relating to the Core Area wastewater treatment project. The report contained a technical report by the project’s engineering consultants, Urban Systems and Carollo Associates, outlining details of the five Core Area option sets and the estimated capital and operating costs. Public input and feedback gathered through the Eastside and Westside Select Committees’ public engagement processes was a critical factor in deciding which sites were chosen for more detailed technical and financial analysis. Also released was a series of site maps for each of the option sets and preliminary estimates of average projected costs for households in the Core Area municipalities (Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, Oak Bay, Saanich, Victoria, View Royal) and project costs for the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. (News Release)

December 9, 2016 - The CALWMC received Status Report #6 from the TOP.

In 2014, the CALWMC, CRD staff and consultants, and the Core Area Wastewater Program Commission continued work under the LWMP Amendment No. 8 to implement a publicly acceptable sewage treatment and resource recovery system for the Core Area.

In January, CRD staff began drafting LWMP Amendment No. 9, which requested a time extension for the project’s funding programs. In February, hearings began for the rezoning of McLoughlin Point, but the CRD’s revised McLoughlin Point rezoning application did not meet the zoning requirements for Esquimalt. The plan to build one regional plant at McLoughlin Point was put on hold by the CRD Board in June.

Following this, the municipalities of Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Esquimalt and the Songhees Nation, formed the Westside Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery Select Committee to begin planning for a new project to treat sewage and recover resources in those municipalities and the Nation. In July, the CALWMC received Ministry approval to proceed with LWMP Amendment No.9, which still identified McLoughlin Point as the location for a regional wastewater treatment facility. In October, the CALWMC approved a new planning framework to allow municipalities and First Nations that are participating in the CALWMP, to take a leading role in their communities to identify local opportunities for sewage treatment. In December, the Westside Select Committee branded itself as Westside Solutions and began public engagement process with Westside residents.

January 8, 2014 – CALWMC recommends to the CRD Board regarding the Town of Esquimalt rezoning bylaw for McLoughlin Point:

1. Receive the Backgrounder for information;
2. Support the new Bylaw 2805;
3. Approve the Community Impact and Operating Agreement; and
4. Approve the Host Community Impact 5-Year Agreement.

The CALWMC did not support requesting assistance from the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development for arbitration to resolve the impasse between the CRD and the Township of Esquimalt in the event that an agreement is not concluded with Esquimalt.

January 2014 – Drafting of LWMP Amendment No.9

February 18/19, 2014 – Township of Esquimalt Public Hearing on the rezoning of McLoughlin Point. Speakers from across the CRD are invited to speak. (Esquimalt Notice of Meeting and Materials)

March 2014 – Ongoing discussion between CRD and Township of Esquimalt regarding rezoning bylaws for McLoughlin Point and community amenities. (Letters/Reports on Rezoning)

March 11, 2014 – Residual solids pipeline from McLoughlin Point to Hartland landfill route map released and community open houses held in spring 2014 (News Release)

March 12, 2014 – Colwood proposes to leave the Seaterra Program (March Presentation) and that the required amendments and legislative changes be supported, in principle, to enable a separate wastewater treatment system to serve the City of Colwood, subject to:

a) Colwood obtaining approval by December 2014 from the Provincial Government to proceed in the proposed direction without compromising existing funding agreements, b) by December 2015, Colwood having acceptable solutions to the inter-municipal issues that arise from this proposal, such that the cost of the capacity required to be maintained on behalf of Colwood, as is necessary during the approval process, and in the event that the Province requires the CRD to maintain redundant capacity in the event of regulatory non-compliance, is fairly compensated, and
c) Colwood having completed all necessary plans and approvals to enable move forward with planning

March 20, 2014 – Additional Township of Esquimalt Public Hearing on the rezoning of McLoughlin Point.

April 7, 2014 – Township of Esquimalt rejects the proposed rezoning bylaw to allow for the proposed WWTP at McLoughlin Point.

April 9, 2014 – CALWMC considers Esquimalt rezoning options (April 2014)
That an application be made to the Provincial Cabinet under section 37(6) of the Environmental Management Act to declare inoperative those provisions of the Esquimalt Zoning Bylaw and request direction from the province on how to move forward with the project. (News Release) (April 11, 2014 letter to Minister of Environment)

April 16, 2014 – Land transfer at Hartland landfill to support development of the Resource Recovery Centre. (News Release)

May 2, 2014 – Harbour Resource Partners selected as preferred proponent for development of WWTP at McLoughlin Point. (News Release)

May 6, 2014 – Shortlist of proponents announced for development of Resource Recovery Centre at Hartland landfill. (News Release)

May 14, 2014 - That implementation of advanced oxidation (ozonation, hydrogen peroxide) be included in the Seaterra Program, which increases the Seaterra Program budget to $787.9 million. (Letter to Minister of Environment)

May 27, 2014 – CRD receives letter from Minister of Environment concerning McLoughlin Point rezoning and its decision for the Province not to override the decision of Esquimalt Council to not rezone the site. (May 27, 2014) CRD announces that it will not proceed with McLoughlin Point following Minister’s letter (News Release)

May 27, 2014 – Seaterra Program releases fly-thru video, photo renderings and details of the preferred proponent’s final design to media.

June 18, 2014 – CALWMC directs staff to complete the request for a transitional authorization, prior to June 30, 2014, based on the existing approved Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan and indicate in the application that an amendment may be submitted if a revised Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan is approved. This is a key step in the federal funding agreement.

CALWMC takes the following steps:

1) That a letter be written to the Township of Esquimalt Council requesting that they initiate a development approval process to accommodate the McLoughlin Point WWTP

2) That the Capital Regional District recommence a siting process for a centralized wastewater treatment plant site through a municipal/First Nations competition;

3) That the Capital Regional District conduct a new pricing exercise for a decentralized system;

4) That the Board Chair request that the Province make the Seaterra Program a Provincial project. (June 2014)

CRD Chair Bryson proposes an offer to Esquimalt to consider amending the cost sharing to offset the entire capital cost of Esquimalt's 6.7% share, in substitution for the amenities previously proposed outside the current bid proposal, by amending the cost sharing to allow for a payment to Esquimalt in the amount equal to Esquimalt's share ($18.9M) or by removing Esquimalt from the Seaterra capital program cost levy (June 2014 proposal)

July 3, 2014 – Ministry of Environment approves LWMP Amendment No.9 (July 3, 2014). Province provide initial guidance on the regulatory steps necessary should the Capital Regional District (CRD) or its member municipalities pursue a treatment option(s) other than those reflected in the current Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan (CALWMP). (July 3, 2014 – Guidance)

July 15, 2014 - Core Area Wastewater Treatment Facility Site Competition letter distributed to local Mayors and First Nations. (July 15, 2014). CRD requests Province to take over the Seaterra Program. (July 15, 2014 – Request)

July 17, 2014 – Response from Esquimalt rejecting request from the CRD to reconsider its decision on rezoning McLoughlin Point (July 17, 2014)

August 13, 2014 – Communications regarding offer to Esquimalt residents for reduced cost wastewater treatment are held back, following correspondence from Langford and Esquimalt. (August 2014)

Planning process for new wastewater treatment options begins

September 10, 2014 – CALWMC considers terms of reference for an Options Study for sewage treatment for the core area. (September 2014)

October 8, 2014 – CALWMC approves the establishment of a new framework to allow municipalities and First Nations that are participating in the CALWMP to take a leading role in their communities to identify local opportunities for sewage treatment. (October 2014)

October 23, 2014 – Westside Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery Select Committee, with members from Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, View Royal and Songhees Nation, holds first meeting. (October 2014 – Westside Select Committee Staff Report)

November 15, 2014 – Municipal Election

December 12, 2014 – Westside Select Committee brands itself as Westside Solutions and launches www.westsidesolutions.ca website. This also marks the beginning of the engagement process with the launch of an online survey.

December 16, 2014 – Westside Select Committee hosts first open house at the Songhees Nation Wellness Centre – five more open houses were held in the upcoming weeks including: January 14 (Colwood City hall), January 20 (Langford City Hall), January 21 (Esquimalt Municipal Hall) January 22 (Songhees Nation Wellness Centre) and January 29, 2015 (View Royal City Hall).

In 2013, the CALWMC, CRD staff and consultants, and the Core Area Wastewater Program Commission continued work under the LWMP Amendment No. 8 to implement a publicly acceptable sewage treatment and resource recovery system for the Core Area, which identified a regional wastewater facility at McLoughlin Point and solids recovery at Hartland Landfill.

This year, the CRD formed the Seaterra Commission (also known as the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Program Commission) to oversee the design and construction of the core area’s wastewater treatment program. The major siting decisions had been made and the public engagement focus was on neighborhood-based communications that inform and engage local residents affected by nearby facilities. The opportunities for consultation during this communication phase were in the form of construction and impact reduction measures around noise, safety, air quality, traffic, etc.

The CRD released an RFQ for McLoughlin Point and purchased Viewfield Road site for consideration as a site for the Biosolids Energy Centre. In July, Seaterra released an RFP for the development of a treatment plant at McLoughlin Point site.

Between the summer and the fall, the CRD and Township of Esquimalt negotiated an amenity package and design guidelines for the McLoughlin Point treatment facility. In December, Seaterra released RFQs for the Resource Recovery Centre and an RFP to find a suitable proponent for the end use of the Biosolids. Also in December, the EIS for the proposed major facilities concluded.

January 2013 – Final CALWMC discussions/approval of Commission bylaw and recommendation to the CRD Board. (January 2013)

February 2013 – Support for CRD’s wastewater system from Mayor of Port Angeles (January 3, 2013). Project Management Office preparing procurement documents for the McLoughlin WWTP, Victoria Harbour Crossing and Outfall and working on implementing other program elements including the Craigflower pump station and Arbutus Road attenuation tank.

February 26, 2013 – Public Open House on Craigflower Pump Station at Shoreline School. (News Release)

March 5, 2013 – Correspondence from Mayor of Colwood over concern about the cost allocation and payments for the wastewater treatment system as applied to Colwood. (March 5, 2013)

March 14, 2013 – RFQ released for McLoughlin Point WWTP (News Release)

March 20, 2013 – Announcement of $17 million purchase of Viewfield Road site for consideration as site for Biosolids Energy Centre. (News Release)

March 27, 2013 – Commission members named to the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Program (News Release). Brenda Eaton named as Chair.

April 2013 – McLoughlin Point WWTP design charette (April 11, 12) and open house (April 13) to solicit comments from the public on the WWTP. The design charette and public Open House generated a number of design ideas on the architectural concept for the McLoughlin Wastewater Treatment Plant and provided an opportunity for public comment. The outcomes of the design charette and Open House were considered in the revision of the design guidelines.

April 19, 2013 – CRD purchases McLoughlin Point from Imperial Oil for $4.6 million.

May 14, 2013 – Provincial Election

May 2013 – McLoughlin Design Guidelines summary (May 2013)

June 12, 2013 - TCAC reconvened to provide support in studying the minor changes to LWMP of the Core Area, including the completion date, size of the Arbutus tank and minor adjustments to allow for innovation in the procurement process for the BEC.

June 2013 – Engagement process around purchase of Viewfield Road site for the BEC and siting of the BEC at Viewfield or Hartland landfill. Eight open houses held around the CRD. (News Release)

June 7, 2013 – CRD discontinues pursuit of federal lands for siting facilities for the wastewater treatment program. (News Release)

June 28, 2013 – Shortlist named for the design, build and partial finance of McLoughlin WWTP. (News Release)

July 8, 2013 – Esquimalt Public Hearing on the Rezoning of McLoughlin Point to host a WWTP.

July 12, 2013 – RFP released for the development of WWTP at McLoughlin Point. (News Release)

July 15, 2013 - Township of Esquimalt’s adopts an alternate bylaw stipulating terms and conditions for the Capital Regional District to develop the McLoughlin Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Township of Esquimalt passed an amendment to the Official Community Plan and enacted a bylaw permitting construction of a wastewater treatment plant at the McLoughlin Point site. (CRD News Release)

July 31, 2013 – New Program Director named for CALWMP Project Management Office – Albert Sweetnam. (News Release)

Summer/Fall 2013 – Discussions were conducted between CRD and Township of Esquimalt to negotiate an amenity package and design guidelines.

August 14, 2013 – Timeline and approach to wastewater treatment program confirmed by the CRD Board. Based on the approval of the Plan and the funding agreements, the Project Management Office has been established and advisory consultants retained. Firms are preparing bids for the Request for Proposals (RFP) to construct the McLoughlin Point secondary treatment facility, this RFP was issued by the Commission and is part of their mandate to implement the Program.

September 25, 2013 – Construction begins on the Craigflower Pump Station. (News Release)

October 7, 2013 – Core Area Liquid Wastewater Management Program renamed the Seaterra Program (News Release) Wastewater Made Clear website removed and Seaterra Program site is launched.

October 9, 2013 – Discussion of technical and financial implications of a distributed wastewater treatment program. (October 2013)

October 17, 2013 – Engagement and planning proceeds concerning the siting of the Resource Recovery Centre (formerly BEC) at Hartland landfill. Engagement sessions with local community groups initiated and feedback sought to inform development of RFP. (News Release)

November 25, 2013 – Contract awarded for design of Arbutus Road Attenuation Tank (News Release)

November 28, 2013 – Review of negotiations between CRD and Township of Esquimalt regarding the bylaws to allow development of WWTP at McLoughlin Point. Staff directed to negotiate a revised bylaw and agreements with two provisions: reduce the total amenity and mitigation costs and remove the requirement for the barging of materials. (November staff report)

December 11, 2013 – Additional discussion around costs for barging/rezoning amenities at McLoughlin Point. (December 2013)

December 13, 2013 - Request for Qualifications released for the Resource Recovery Centre (RRC). Request for Proposal for end use of Biosolids also released (News Release). Environmental Impact Study completed by TERA Environmental Consultants (formerly Westland Resource Group) for the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Program Facilities and Terrestrial Environment Volume I of II (October 2013) for the proposed major facilities in the program. These include facilities upgraded at Macaulay Point and Clover Point pump stations, a new treatment facility at McLoughlin Point, a new attenuation tank at Arbutus Road, a new pump station at Craigflower and various ancillary conveyance pipelines. The residual solids conveyance pipeline from McLoughlin Point to Hartland and the Hartland Resource Recovery Centre to be included in the EIS Volume II, which will be completed in 2014. (December 2010)