Canada Place ‘sails’ to be replaced

VANCOUVER – Canada Place is getting a new roof.

As part of the federal government’s Economic Action Plan, Transport and Infrastructure Minister John Baird announced in Vancouver Wednesday that Canada Place’s five white sails will be replaced by March 2011.

The $21-million project, paid for through the government’s Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, will be built to the specifications of the original design and the new sails are expected to last for 30 years.

“Our government is pleased to be part of the roof replacement to this important building, which has become a symbol of culture, tourism and economic activity,” Baird said of the construction work, which is now underway. “Canada Place is one of the great iconic places in this country.”

He said the new roof roof will provide “increased durability and longevity.”

Mike Shardlow, president and CEO of Canada Place Corporation, said the building is a “national icon and a defining feature of the Vancouver skyline.”

He said the existing sail fabric has served Canada Place for more than 20 years.

The roof fabric will be replaced with new tension fabric that mimics the specifications of the original design.

Each year about three million people visit Canada Place, which generates about $1 billion annually to the local economy.

The original sails were erected in 1984 as the Canada Pavilion at Expo ’86.

Canada Place will remain open during the project, although Exhibition Halls B and C will become a construction zone.