Nestled in Burnaby Lake Regional Park, the Burnaby Lake Rowing Pavilion is located in an environmentally sensitive habitat that is home to turtles, beavers, ducks, salmon, and other wildlife. The site is a bird sanctuary where blue herons, eagles, kingfishers, and osprey are regularly spotted. The area also holds archaeological significance – ancestral home to the Halkomelem and Squamish-speaking peoples. The Pavilion serves as the launch site for rowing and is also a year-round public venue. With a natural, verified two-kilometre course, Burnaby Lake is one of the best locations for rowing training in North America – an ideal site for holding rowing championships. Beyond recreation, Burnaby Lake also plays a vital role in the regional flood control system, acting as a stormwater runoff buffer, reducing flood risk.

Built in the 1950s, the Rowing Pavilion is a pile-supported timber structure which had deteriorated over the years. Unsafe railings, failing concrete decking, deteriorated beams, and lack of emergency egress rendered the structure unsafe and largely inaccessible. Moreover, gasoline-powered motorboats parked under creosote-treated timber posed a significant fire hazard. Due to the pavilion’s remoteness from access roads, major maintenance work would require equipment to be transported through the sensitive parkland, potentially disturbing and contaminating the aquatic environment. Previous attempts to remediate the structure were not implemented due to these challenges.

In 2018, the City of Burnaby engaged Associated Engineering to assess rehabilitation options. Associated led the comprehensive waterfront infrastructure upgrade. Using an innovative and environmentally sensitive approach, working in collaboration with the city, the Rowing Club, the contractor, and other stakeholders, the functionality of the Rowing Pavilion was restored, while enhancing accessibility and sustainability — revitalizing this community gem for generations to come.

The pavilion rehabilitation required a thoughtful strategy to protect Burnaby Lake’s ecosystem and public safety during construction. Rather than building access roads to bring in heavy machinery, we employed a low-impact approach using non-propelled floats to transport materials along Still Creek to facilitate demolition and construction. Construction was staged to minimize impact on facility users and wildlife.
Floating boardwalks replaced the pile-supported walkways. This innovative solution blends seamlessly into the environment, weaving around existing vegetation. Built in modular sections, the boardwalks allow wildlife to cross freely, preserving their natural movement patterns.

The original piles were reused to help maintain the site’s ecological integrity. Another creative and sustainable initiative was repurposing polystyrene foam billets reclaimed from a highway project and encapsulating the material in High Molecular Weight Polyethylene to build the floating docks and boardwalks.

The walkway decking features fiberglass mini-mesh panels that allows light to penetrate to support aquatic life below. The non-slip surface does not require salting in winter, eliminating harmful chemicals from entering the lake, protecting aquatic life and reducing maintenance. A new floating walkway, suitable for disability access, connects the parking lot to the floating dock. Riparian planting and strategically placed lighting sensitive to nocturnal wildlife were also implemented.

Since the completion of the Burnaby Rowing Pavilion revitalization, the City has received unprecedented accolades from rowers and park users. Wildlife activity has increased – beaver nesting and bird populations have risen. This project exemplifies the value of balancing engineering excellence and environmental responsibility. By integrating sustainability with innovative design, Associated Engineering has preserved a vital habitat and enhanced a space for the public to connect with nature.