Metro Vancouver cancels wastewater treatment plant deal after delays
The head of the Metro Vancouver Regional District says it has lost confidence in the contractor hired to build a wastewater treatment plant in North Vancouver, B.C., and has terminated its contract with the company.
Jerry Dobrovolny, chief administrative officer for the regional district, says the price tag rose from $500 million to $1 billion.
Acciona, the company behind the plant's construction, was unavailable for an interview and did not immediately return a request for comment.
Dobrovolny says Acciona left the regional district with “no choice” after construction delays and the rise in price.
He says the project is 36 per cent complete when by Acciona's timeline it should be at 55 per cent, and the project was intended to be completed by 2020.
Dobrovolny says it's unusual to cut ties with a contractor, but the decision was made to shield taxpayers from further costs.
Acciona's website says the company is also responsible for the construction of the Broadway SkyTrain expansion as well as the Pattullo Bridge replacement.
“This is a last resort, certainly not something we would have wanted to do or a position we would have wanted to be in. At some point we have to say enough is enough,” Dobrovolny said in an interview.
He said the regional district will now work to find a contractor on an expedited basis.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.