White Rock’s pier wish granted
Published 2:52 pm Wednesday, July 1, 2026
The sun is shining on White Rock – and the city’s iconic pier – on Canada Day.
Even if it hadn’t pushed its way through clouds, the day would have been bright – thanks to South Surrey-White Rock MP Ernie Klassen’s morning announcement that the federal government will pay the lion’s share of funding for repair, renovation and seismic upgrades of the city’s iconic pier.
Introduced by Mayor Megan Knight, Klassen, who had lobbied hard for the funding in Ottawa, announced almost $26 million allocated in the federal budget for the project.
“It’s a privilege to have worked with the government to bring this funding to White Rock,” said Klassen, speaking to a crowd of some 200 at opening ceremonies for Canada Day by the Bay at Memorial Park.
He noted that improving the pier has been a topic of discussion throughout the 25 years he has lived in the community.
“This is the largest federal investment this city has ever received,” said Knight while noting that the 2018 storm that took out a 100-metre section of the pier was “a wake-up call” for the need to protect the pier from future extreme weather events.
While the 100 metres has since been repaired, the remaining two-thirds of the pier is overdue for rebuilding and upgrading as Phase Two of the project.
The announcement is particularly good news for the city, as it now has virtually all the money needed for the Phase Two (Knight noted the federal funds will be added to the $4,065,000 the city has already set aside for the for work).
The $25,935,000 investment is part of a $6 billion Direct Delivery Stream of the federal government’s Build Communities Strong Fund, which aims to funnel some $51 billion into infrastructure project across the country during the next decade.
Klassen said the fund will help communities across Canada with key infrastructure projects, including “hospitals and health centres, bridges and roads, water supply and water treatment plants and public transportation.”
After the 2018 storm damage, the pier’s repair and upgrading had originally been budgeted at some $15 million.
But council found out in January of this year – during civic budget deliberations– that the price tag has since risen to an estimated $30 million, due to inflation in construction costs and new B.C. Building Code requirements.
In his remarks, Klassen said Phase Two of the pier reconstruction will replace the deteriorated timber structure with “a more durable and resilient design, improving long-term safety, reliability and resistance to severe weather and marine conditions.”
The project will also include collaboration with Semiahmoo First Nation on cultural and historic preservation and fishing boat storage, he added.
Also included, Klassen said, will be a new ramp from the upper intertidal beach to the north end of the pier to improve access for all ages and abilities, while the pier will have expanded landing space to support emergency vehicle access, plus embedded utility conduits to continue essntial services during and after emergencies.