LAUNCH A FULL PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO METRO VANCOUVER'S
$4-BILLION NORTH SHORE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT FAILURE

Nobody on the North Shore caused this $4-billion failure — but we’re being told to pay the price for it.

North Shore residents make up just 8% of Metro Vancouver, yet we are being billed for 37% of a wastewater treatment plant project that ballooned from about $700 million to nearly $4 billion under Metro Vancouver’s management. 

For example in the City of North Vancouver household sewer bills are projected to rise from about $778 per year to approximately $1,400 per year by 2029 — and remain high for decades. That’s not fair cost-sharing. It’s cost-dumping onto a region that didn’t create the problem.

Despite the scale of this failure, there has been:

• No Public Inquiry
• No independent review
• No meaningful public explanation

British Columbians deserve the truth.

 Our Call to Action

We call on the Province of British Columbia to launch a full Public Inquiry under the Public Inquiry Act (SBC 2007, c.9) into the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant project — with terms that allow the inquiry to proceed concurrently with court proceedings, while protecting judicial independence.

A Public Inquiry is the only independent, transparent, and legally empowered mechanism that can:

• Compel testimony
• Obtain documents
• Examine governance and oversight failures
• Determine how billions were lost
• Recommend reforms to prevent future failures

Why This Matters

A failure of this scale affects the entire region — but the North Shore is being charged a disproportionately large share of the cost.

Without a Public Inquiry:

• The public won’t get answers
• The Province cannot deliver accountability
• Metro Vancouver won’t get the reforms it urgently needs

This is about fairness, transparency, and protecting taxpayers across British Columbia.

Add Your Voice
By signing this petition, you join British Columbians calling on the Province to uncover the truth and ensure this never happens again.

Here's the link:
https://www.change.org/p/launch-an-immediate-inquiry-into-the-3-86-billion-ns-wastewater-plant-32d2316d-7965-43be-87af-aa94f0021ca4

Metro made the mess... The Province must deliver accountability.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. What is this petition asking for?
   We are calling on the Province of British Columbia to launch a full Public Inquiry under the Public Inquiry Act (SBC 2007, c.9) into the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, now a nearly $4-billion project. The inquiry must have terms that allow it to proceed even while court cases move forward, protecting judicial independence. This is a single, clear, actionable ask.
2. Why is a Provincial-Led Public Inquiry necessary?
   A project estimated at $700 million has become a $4-billion failure. There has been no Public Inquiry, no independent review, and no meaningful explanation for how this happened. Only a Public Inquiry can compel testimony, obtain internal documents, examine governance failures, determine how billions were spent, and recommend reforms to prevent this from happening again.
   No other mechanism has this legal authority.
3. Why is the North Shore being asked to pay so much?
   The North Shore makes up just 8% of Metro Vancouver’s population, yet is being billed for 37% of the project’s cost, despite not managing, overseeing, or causing the failure. This is a serious and disproportionate burden created by Metro Vancouver’s cost-allocation formula.
4. How will this affect household sewer bills?
   For instance, the City of North Vancouver household sewer bills are scheduled to rise from $778 per year to as much as $1,400 per year by 2029, and remain high for decades. These increases are not simply “normal infrastructure costs.” They stem directly from the cost overruns on this failed megaproject.
5. Doesn’t this affect all Metro Vancouver residents?
   Yes. The failure increases regional costs for everyone. But the North Shore is being asked to pay far more than its share. The inequality is measurable, clear, and avoidable. 
6. Can a Public Inquiry run while lawsuits are ongoing?
   Yes. Under the Public Inquiry Act, the Province can set terms of reference that avoid interfering with court cases while still allowing a full examination of governance failures and decision-making. 
7. Why not ask local councils to act?
   Local councils cannot launch a Public Inquiry. Metro Vancouver’s Board cannot launch a Public Inquiry. Only the Province has that authority. Councils may choose to support this petition, but the petition itself must focus on the body with the power to act.
8. Is this just politics?
   NO.  This is about fairness, transparency, and public accountability. A $4-billion cost overrun is one of the largest infrastructure failures in B.C. history. A Public Inquiry is essential to restore public trust and prevent this from happening again.
9. What happens after the petition gains momentum?
   We will deliver the petition to the Province, engage media, request support from North Shore councils, publish cost comparisons, track responses from elected officials, and keep signatories informed every step of the way. The petition is Phase 1. Public pressure is the key to achieving a Public Inquiry.
10. Why say “Metro made the mess”?
    Because Metro Vancouver managed the project, oversaw construction, and paused its own internal review. Yet North Shore households are being charged a disproportionately large share of the cost. The petition’s message is simple:
    Metro made the mess. The Province must deliver accountability.