A structural engineer has been hired by the Town of Sidney to determine if there has been any long-term impact from occasional salt water leaks or spills from the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre.
Town Chief Administrative Officer Randy Humble says the engineer will report on any affects on the structure of the Pier Strata building from leakage.
He stated there is no risk to the building and the engineer will provide a report on the impact of salt water spills at the aquarium and make recommendations on how to prevent them.
Humble said there have been spills at the aquarium since it opened in 2005. Over that time, the SODC administration has developed protocols on handling them. The municipality is the owner of the space the aquarium occupies.
“There are no drains in the facility,” said Humble. “The Shaw ocean Discovery Centre deals with spills and has an alarm system in case of overnight incidents.”
A visual inspection already completed in the underground parking area of the Pier Strata building shows little impact, Humble said. He said salt water hasn’t gotten into any cracks and has not affected the concrete or rebar.
With no real concerns or issues identified in the visual inspection, the Town will have the engineer complete a structural assessment.
Humble called the work a responsible step, noting the board and administration of the aquarium were on board, wanting to mitigate any potential risk.
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