Anderton Wall

Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall – Potential Risk of Failure

The City of Courtenay is notifying the public about the potential risk of failure to the Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall located along the west side of the Courtenay River, parallel to the 400-block of Anderton Avenue.

The City has been closely monitoring the Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall, following a repair in 2016. The wall is made up of two sections:

• a 50 m sheet pile section
• a 210 m long precast concrete section

Monitoring has detected movements of the sheet pile wall, which indicates a risk of partial or total failure. Failure may be a gradual slide toward the river, or a rapid colapse caused by a seismic event.

The risk of failure is much lower for the concrete section of the Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall. The properties behind this section of the wall include the Anderton Sanitary Lift Station and Riverside Park.

Area of Greatest Risk

The area behind the sheet pile section is at greatest risk, which includes the former Cona Hostel (440 Anderton Ave) and the Anderton Arms Apartment Building (426 Anderton Ave), as shown on the map below. If a failure were to occur, nearby areas may also be impacted.

Private property owners and residents impacted by this risk have been notified directly, and the City will install warning signs in the affected area.

What’s Next?
Public safety is the top priority, and this notification is a proactive measure. The City of Courtenay has notified those directly impacted, and has installed warning signs in the area of greatest risk. These signs will remain in place until the risk has been addressed.

Anderton Avenue Retaining Wall - Frequently Asked Questions