Under clear blue skies, with an excavator as a backdrop, representatives from NAV CANADA and the Victoria Airport Authority (VAA) were all smiles recently as they joined municipal and industry delegates to put shovels in the ground to kick off construction of a new control tower at Victoria Airport in B.C.
The 27-metre-tall tower, with a total gross floor area of 791 square metres, will take more than two years to build. It is expected to be up and running in 2027.
The structure is being erected in a grassy area near the airport’s Airside Operations Centre and to the northwest of the existing control tower.
Construction crews have already started prep work.
“At this time, we are working on installing underground infrastructure to accommodate the relocation of the existing overhead power lines and telecommunications lines,” Maryam Amini, manager of media relations at NAV CANADA, explained in a statement provided to the Journal of Commerce.
NAV CANADA had deemed the original tower needed to be modernized. It was built in the 1950s and underwent significant renovations in 1987.
The project is funded by NAV CANADA. Kinetic Construction is the construction management firm working on the project.
Cost of the project has not been disclosed.
“The decision to build a new tower to support operations at Victoria International Airport was made as a result of the existing tower reaching the end of its useful life,” said the NAV CANADA statement. “All options were taken into consideration, including the potential to renovate the existing tower.”
The new tower will be approximately seven metres taller than the existing structure. The tower will have a control cab with a 360-degree view of the airport and surrounding area as well as the Patricia Bay floatplane base.
As the airport has developed, the view of the entire airfield from the existing tower has been impeded and staff were using video cameras as a workaround.
A sightline analysis was completed for the new tower and the new location positions the tower at the most optimal spot.
According to NAV CANADA, the tower will have the most modern air traffic management, communications and aviation surveillance systems to ensure the safety of operations.
The structure will also have many sustainable design features to align with the airport’s sustainability plan. NAV CANADA, meanwhile, has a goal of being net-zero by 2050.
The building will be NAV CANADA’s first LEED -certified tower and will be powered by electricity from B.C. Hydro to operate with zero greenhouse gas emissions, aside from its emergency power generator.
Other features being incorporated into the new tower include a system that will capture rainwater for bathrooms, high-efficiency heat pumps and LED lights.
Indigenous bushes, natural grasses and wildflowers will be used in landscaping around the tower. Only plants that do not yield fruits or berries have been selected for landscaping in order to minimize the attraction of birds for safety reasons.
The control tower property will also feature permeable pavers in a parking area, which will allow water to soak through to minimize ground water run-off and reduce the risk of flooding.
The focus on sustainability doesn’t end with the building itself.
NAV CANADA says “the philosophy is to restore as much of the site as possible to a Garry Oak Meadow ecosystem.”
Garry Oak ecosystems are among the most endangered in Canada with only three per cent remaining in a natural state. In Canada, they are only found in British Columbia on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island, some of the Gulf Islands and a few spots on the mainland. They include relatively open forests dominated by twisted, gnarled Garry Oak trees.
The plan is to include grass and plants such as Garry Oak Meadow, Yarrow, Common Camas and California Oatgrass into the landscape design.
The new tower has been designed in collaboration with the airport authority.
“Working in collaboration with the Victoria Airport Authority has been a very positive experience, and – as the country’s air navigation services provider – NAV CANADA has significant experience in construction projects in the airport environment,” Amini said.
Victoria Airport is the 11th busiest airport in the country. As many as two million passengers go through the airport annually.
VAA president and CEO Elizabeth Brown said the services NAV CANADA provides for the complex airspace in the region is essential for the safe operation of the airport and the investment will enhance air navigational services for years to come.
“This new state-of-the-art facility will not only improve aviation safety and efficiency but will also highlight the many ways thoughtful and sustainable design can be employed in non-traditional developments and facilities that serve unique functions. The various design elements that have been incorporated align with many of the goals in (the airport’s) sustainability plan and we look forward to seeing the building in operation.”
NAV CANADA employees will continue to work at the existing tower until construction of the new facility is completed. They will then be transitioned to the new tower.
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