Chard Development Ltd. said in a statement Wednesday that it first spotted the landslide on the northwest corner of the excavation site near the corner of Cook and Johnson Streets on Sunday, June 12. “Crews were called immediately to the scene to assess the situation and begin stabilization work,” the company said. “No structural damage was caused to neighboring properties and since then the location has stabilized.” A WorkSafeBC spokesman confirmed to CTV News via email that officers had arrived at the scene and issued an order to stop the excavation. Neighboring company Gemi Hair shared photos of the slide on its Facebook page, saying that WorkSafeBC had barred its employees from entering the building due to the collapse of the construction site. The salon said it hopes to reopen on Monday, June 20th. Chard said its excavation at the site “followed the strict instructions of certified geotechnical engineers” and said it was not worried about any additional falls. “As always, our priority has been and continues to be the safety of those inside and around the site,” Byron Chard, the company’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “Our team of geotechnical engineers and other professionals – as well as the owner of the neighboring property – worked quickly and collaboratively to secure the site, assess the situation, minimize the slump and stabilize the property.” Excavation at the site began in December 2021. Chard Development said the “early assessment” of the incident suggested that unusually wet weather was a contributing factor. The site is the future home of the company Nest and Haven apartment buildings. Nest is a planned 12-storey apartment tower in Cook and Yates, and Haven is a six-story building on Johnson Street.
