A proposed rezoning would authorize hazardous chlorine manufacturing at the Chemtrade facility, which has operated in legal limbo since 1984. The chemical facility has operated in a zoning gray area for more than four decades but could gain formal recognition under the rezoning proposal going before the District of North Vancouver council on Monday.
The district is considering a rezoning bylaw which would permit hazardous substance manufacturing at Chemtrade Logistics Inc.’s chlor-alkali plant at 100 Amherst Avenue in the Maplewood industrial area. The facility has produced liquid chlorine on-site since 1957. If approved, the rezoning would transform Chemtrade’s status from a legal non-conforming use, grandfathered under provincial law, into a permanent zoning.
“The applicant has indicated to the District that the Chemtrade chlor-alkali facility at 100 Amherst Avenue has been in continuous operation since 1957 and produces liquid chlorine primarily used for drinking water treatment across British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest,” according to the staff report.
“The facility currently employs approximately 118 full-time staff and produces a significant portion of the liquid chlorine supply used in Western Canada. In 1984, the District’s Zoning Bylaw was amended to include section 403A to prohibit the manufacture of hazardous substances, including compressed or liquefied gases. Site-specific exemption to this prohibition would be considered on an individual basis.”
The plant’s unusual legal status dates back to 1984, when the district amended its zoning bylaw to prohibit the manufacture of hazardous substances, including liquefied gases, unless a site-specific exemption was granted. Chemtrade continued operating under provincial protections for pre-existing uses, but that arrangement has prevented the company from implementing significant safety upgrades.
District staff note that Chemtrade’s planned infrastructure improvements, including fully enclosed processing facilities and removal of on-site chlorine storage, cannot proceed without the rezoning. The rezoning application comes alongside a series of safety-focused upgrades. The company says it plans to demolish an unused cell house, remove bulk chlorine storage tanks, and construct a fully enclosed railcar loading building equipped with air-scrubbing systems.
The facility would also install elevated condensers for gravity-fed loading and seismically activated emergency shut-off valves. Chemtrade has confirmed there will be no increase in production capacity, emphasizing that the upgrades are focused solely on safety and operational efficiency, the report notes.
To support the application, Chemtrade submitted a Facility Siting Study and Quantitative Risk Assessment (FSS/QRA), which was independently peer-reviewed by Risktec Solutions (Canada) Ltd. The review concluded that the proposed upgrades would reduce overall risk compared to current operations and confine potential hazards near the facility boundary.
Public input and next steps
Although public hearings are not legally required for non-residential rezonings that align with the Official Community Plan, staff are recommending one due to the facility’s industrial significance and public interest in hazardous materials operations. Public consultation to date has been limited but mixed.
Five online comments raised safety concerns, while letters of support emphasized Chemtrade’s role in supplying liquid chlorine for municipal drinking water and its contribution to regional industrial employment.
The proposed rezoning would not change the site’s Industrial designation or Employment Zone – Industrial (EZ-I) zoning. Instead, it would insert a site-specific permission, formally integrating hazardous substance manufacturing into the district’s zoning framework without expanding production.
Council will decide on Monday whether to give first reading to the bylaw and refer it to a public hearing, allowing residents and stakeholders to provide input before a final decision is made.
