Future of the Burrard Thermal Lands

Burrard Thermal Lands - Port Moody

When I ran for Council in 2022, one of the things I promised was that I would 

doggedly pursue answers and a potential resolution to the lack of industry on the 

Burrard Thermal Lands. These lands comprise 184 acres on our north shore. While I'm glad to now have those answers, the resolution has been disappointing to say the least.  

Background: 

In 2016, the then-governing Provincial government shut down the power plant at the Burrard Thermal site in Burrard Inlet, resulting in a significant hit to the city’s municipal and industrial tax base and a loss of $1.6M yearly grant-in-lieu for those lands. For at least 6 years now (including during his re-election campaign in fall of 2024), our local NDP MLA has given multiple interviews noting that he is working with local first nations and other levels of government to “bring good, future-looking jobs to the tri-cities, help us move forward into the green economy, and build back a tax base for our community that was lost when the power plant shut down”.

In April of 2022, the Province of BC (as BC Hydro) initiated an appeal with the Property Assessment Appeal Board (the "PAAB") regarding its property in Port Moody.  Its appeal centered around requesting a reclassification of 109 acres (the Vacant Land) of the total 184 acre site - they argued that this portion should be designated as Class 6 (Business/Other) rather than Class 2 (Utility). 

As a result, and beginning in 2023, BC Hydro began issuing its annual tax/grant payments to the City with a disclaimer stating that the amounts were provisional and subject to adjustment, and noted that future grant payments could be reduced pending the outcome of their appeal. In response, our Finance team wisely began setting aside additional funds, on an annual basis, to prepare for a potential repayment to BC Hydro should their appeal be successful.

We learned in early 2025 that Hydro's appeal was successful. The PAAB ruled that:

• - the Vacant Land was not held for utility purposes and should be classified at a lower class (rate).

• - the land was superfluous to the Province’s operational needs.

• - the split classification is permitted and the Vacant Land should be reclassified as Class 6 (Business).

BC Hydro grant amounts (aka "property taxes") are calculated with a one-year delay, for example, the 2023 grant is based on 2022 assessed values and mill rates. 

As such, following the PAAB's final decision on this matter, the financial impact to the City of Port Moody actually begins retroactive to 2023. The City is expected to have to repay $1.15 million to BC Hydro next year, assuming they apply the appeal adjustments to their 2026 grant-in-lieu. Further, the City can expect to receive much lower grants-in-lieu/taxes going forward with this new property classification (average expected loss of $383,000 per year).

After learning of the decision, the City immediately appealed the ruling. At the Union of British Columbian Municipalities conference in Victoria in September of 2025,  we had a disappointing meeting with BC Hydro in which they shared that the City's appeal was unsuccessful.

Even worse, Hydro shared that are no immediate plans to redevelop the Burrard Thermal lands for a new use or business, and that decommissioning and remediation of the site would commence in the next year or two. This news came as a great disappointment to both Council and the entire City.

Why The Burrard Thermal Lands Redevelopment Matters To Port Moody

It's no secret that Port Moody is land-poor. We are 10 square miles with much of our water-adjacent lands restricted from business use by Provincial and Federal government regulations, so 184 acres of heavy or industrial land sitting fallow, held by a provincial government that continues to download its own costs to municipalities, is a significant blow to City coffers. As a result, the City is disproportionately reliant on its residential tax base to provide services, programming and everything else.  

Following the September 2025 meeting with BC Hydro, our finance team advised that we have "tax cap room" to maximize our Class 2 rate to the full $40 of $1,000 of assessed value for the remaining Burrard Thermal lands still classified as Utility (75 acres) to lessen the impact of the PAAB’s decision on the City. 

We had not been charging them the full allowed (cap) amount based on perceived fairness to all tax classes, however, given the challenges we have faced with this site, this ruling and Hydro’s notice that it will be at least another 5 years before it will be in a position to make future plans for that land, Cllr. Morrison (Vice-Chair of Finance) and I (Chair of Finance) agreed that it would be appropriate and in the best interests of our residential taxpayers to cap out our tax rate for this tax class going forward. The rate we were charging is $36.75 and we understood this will have only a minor impact on the other Class 2 (Utility) businesses on the City's tax roll.

As Chair, I immediately brought forward the following joint Notice of Motion at the Regular meeting of Council on October 14, 2025:

"THAT, in light of recent and previous revenue losses as a result of Burrard Thermal property tax appeals and plant decommissioning initiatives, staff bring forward the 2026 Tax Policy and 2026 Tax Rate Bylaw setting the Class 2 (Utility) tax rate at the legislated cap of $40 per $1,000 of assessed taxable values to maximize the tax revenues on the Burrard Thermal site."   

This motion, which passed unanimously, will allow us to recoup approximately $300,000 in taxes back to the City per year from BC Hydro, beginning next year.  

On January 27, 2026, BC Hydro appeared at Council to share its updated plans for the site.  The revised timeline is extremely disappointing. It has them completing decommissioning and restoration of the lands in 2033 and potentially ready for a new use in 2034.  Another 8 years before we can even begin to hope for a new use for those valuable lands!

Personally, I am hopeful that when the time finally comes, the City will be at the BC Hydro table, along with our First Nations colleagues, to discuss future uses of those lands in our collective best interests going forward.