Emily Chung and Nicholas Read, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, July 11, 2006

VANCOUVER - Public consultation on a proposed Vancouver Aquarium expansion in Stanley Park will not be held until September, if it happens at all, the Vancouver park board decided Monday.

Board members voted unanimously to put off until the Sept. 11 park board meeting a decision on whether to endorse a public consultation process, which would include open houses, a telephone survey and public meetings. The delay will mean a technical review of the proposal can be completed and made public before the consultation takes place.

Board members also voted to include a review of the city's bylaw on marine mammals in the technical review.

Park board staff had recommended that the board vote Monday night on the consultation process so it could begin in August.

But Park commissioner Allan De Genova suggested postponing the vote, as many people are on vacation during the summer.

He also said the public needs to have the facts from the technical review in order for the consultation to be meaningful.

The technical review will cover topics such as the land required by expansion and the impact the expansion will have on trees, traffic, pedestrian pathways and access to the free public viewing area.

The aquarium wants to renovate aging parts of its facility, build larger pools for beluga whales, Steller sea lions and dolphins and upgrade the public plaza at the entrance. Cost estimates range from $60 million to $70 million.