Capilano River Salmon Hatchery Shut to Visitors for $49M Rebuild
The Capilano River Hatchery, which drew more than 250,000 visitors a year, is closed to the public for a multi-year, $49-million rebuild.
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The Capilano River Hatchery in North Vancouver has closed to the public and is expected to stay shut for two to four years, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said. The hatchery, which drew more than 250,000 visitors a year, shut its doors at the beginning of October.
The hatchery is the flagship of DFO's Pacific salmon enhancement program. It opened in 1971. By the 1960s, salmon runs on the Capilano had fallen to 600 coho. The Cleveland Dam was built in 1954 and cut off access to upriver spawning grounds.
The $49-million project will replace the public building on the same footprint, which is constrained by the Capilano Canyon. The new design reflects the original award-winning Modernist building by Underwood McKinley Wilson Smith. DFO has partnered with Ingenium Canada, a Crown corporation focused on science and technology literacy, to design new interactive displays, including recognition of Indigenous culture and history, and a new amphitheatre.
Behind the scenes, fish incubation and rearing will move indoors to the first floor, replacing the outdoor rectangular ponds known as Cap troughs. Hamid Seshadri, the hatchery's watershed enhancement manager, said this will make it easier to separate different species and ages of fish, improving biosecurity and temperature control. Hatchery operations will continue on site during the work.
DFO has not set a date for the public to return.
At a glance
Where is the Capilano River Hatchery?
The Capilano River Hatchery is in North Vancouver. It is a Pacific salmon enhancement facility run by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
What is changing at the Capilano River Hatchery?
A $49-million project will replace the public building on the same footprint, with new interactive displays and an amphitheatre. Fish incubation and rearing will also move indoors to the first floor, replacing the outdoor rectangular ponds known as Cap troughs.
When will the Capilano River Hatchery reopen to the public?
The Capilano River Hatchery is expected to stay closed to the public for two to four years. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has not set a date for visitors to return.
