New boardwalk for Burrard Inlet’s Shoreline Trail in Port Moody (RENDERINGS)

The elevated recreational pedestrian pathway over sea water at the easternmost end of Burrard Inlet in Port Moody will see a considerable upgrade.

The City of Port Moody has unveiled its design for the new boardwalk replacement for the Shoreline Trail, which is the continuous network of waterfront pedestrian pathways that wrap around Burrard Inlet in the area — connecting municipal waterfront public parks between Rocky Point Park on the south side of the inlet and Old Orchard Park on the north side.

This will be a 440-metre-long replacement of the boardwalk, bridge, and gravel trail between the stair access at Murray Street and the juncture with the paved trail north of the bridge across Noons Creek.

First constructed over 30 years ago, the existing wooden boardwalk is deteriorating, and frequently submerged by king tides and storm surges.

Following a high tide event in December 2022, a section of the boardwalk is currently closed for safety reasons due to a failure of one of the bridges. City staff are aiming to create an interim repair, allowing for a temporary reopening of the trail this summer.

Not only will the new replacement boardwalks and bridges be raised higher over water to account for rising sea levels, the new design will be wider to improve accessibility, and include railings for improved safety.

Upgrades to the boardwalk are part of a coordinated project with sewer upgrades in the area, which will also improve the paved pathway of the Shoreline Trail in the area, including a new asphalt surface, widened areas, and improved drainage.

Jutting out from the new boardwalk, there will also be a new viewing platform, which will be the site of a new Indigenous house post carved by a local artist to honour the Katzie First Nation. It is one of five house posts that will be carved and installed in prominent public areas around Port Moody’s waterfront, with the other four posts representing the Kwikwetlem, Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Squamish First Nations.

Known as the “In the Presence of the Ancestors” project, the house posts of the Tsleil-Waututh, Kwikwetlem, and Musqueam will be raised in a ceremony on June 21, 2023, while the remaining two posts of the Squamish and Katzie will raised be raised next year on June 21, 2024.