Blocks holding up century-old Ogden Point Breakwater shifting due to erosion from wind and water

File Photo
Erosion from the sea is causing some of the blocks holding up the century-old Ogden Point Breakwater to shift slightly, leaving gaps in between.

Erosion from the sea is causing some of the blocks holding up the century-old Ogden Point Breakwater to shift slightly, leaving gaps in between.

The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority maintains the breakwater and discovered the movement during an assessment on the condition of their facility.

“It’s quite forensic,” said Mark Crisp, the harbour authority’s director of infrastructure. “We did diving — dive studies — we did material testing, coring, we looked at the impact of the sea on the structure, above and below the structure.”

The project has been completed in partnership with consultant SNC Lavalin. Once the diving team was underwater, they inspected the condition of the blocks and filmed what they saw.

“We identified that towards the end, where it’s the most exposed to the sea, there is wave action that’s causing some erosion,” Crisp explained.

The risk of danger is very low, he added, and this isn’t something people need to be concerned about.

“We did a 3D survey of the entire facility, so we have a pretty good idea of where the voids are,” he said, noting those specific spots are constantly being monitored.

Crisp added the gaps that occurred near the lighthouse are caused by storms as well as every-day weather.

“Obviously, we get the storms coming in, but even the gentle day could do some subtle changes and over time, those blocks can shift,” he said. “The sea’s a pretty powerful thing, we have to respect that.”

As a result, the erosion isn’t surprising, Crisp explained, suggesting it was bound to happen.

“We’re lucky it was so well built, but nature is always coming at it,” Crisp said.

The breakwater is nearly 800-metres long with a foundation of quarried rock, according to Victoria Harbour History. On top of that, sits more than 10,000 granite blocks, capped off with a concrete walkway.

With all of the information gathered throughout the assessment, the team was able to create a comprehensive 40-year plan on maintaining the breakwater, including information on when to budget which repairs and get them done.

The GVHA hopes to get the block stabilizations done within the next five years, but there are concerns about how much it’s going to cost.

The harbour authority lost 72 per cent of its revenue during the pandemic because the cruise season was cancelled.

“With the uncertainty of when cruise will return, it does cast some doubt about potential ability to maintain these properties on a long term basis,” noted Ian Robertson, GVHA’s CEO. “We hope we don’t get to that point but it is something that is very much in the back of our mind.”

READ MORE: ‘Final nail in the coffin’ of 2020 cruise ship season in Victoria due to COVID-19

Above water, the team is constantly monitoring the handrails, the metal and ladders to identify any issues that may arise.

The breakwater was built in 1917 for the protection of the harbour in the terminal and, while it still performs that function, it’s become more than just that.

“When you talk to anyone who is from Victoria, when you talk about the breakwater, they know exactly where you mean,” Robertson said. “It’s one of those iconic points in the south Island that everybody knows and everybody loves.”

The plan is to continue maintaining it, Crisp noted, so people can continue enjoying the breakwater another 100 years from now.

Jasmine BalaJasmine Bala

Recent Stories

Send us your news tips and videos!