East Vancouver substation
We're planning a new substation in East Vancouver to meet the changing needs of the community and to replace the Murrin substation on Main Street, which is nearing end-of-life.
What's new
Upcoming underground conditions investigation work
From October 26 – November 13, 2026, we'll be investigating underground conditions around the future substation to verify the location, depth, and condition of existing underground utilities and sewer infrastructure. This information will inform the planning and construction of the substation.
To complete this work, temporary parking restrictions and traffic control will be utilized on Vernon Drive, Glen Drive and in nearby lanes, as needed. Access to buildings, businesses and lanes will remain open, however temporary traffic delays may be required while work is in progress. For access to an area where construction is underway, please speak to a traffic control person, who will facilitate access as soon as it is safe to do so.
Work areas:
- 300 block of Vernon Drive from East Hastings Street to the lane south of Franklin Street
- Lane north of 1100 block of East Hastings Street from Glen Drive to 60 metres east of Glen Drive
- Lane south of 1200 block of Franklin Street from 60 metres west of Vernon Drive to 100 metres west of Vernon Drive
- 300 block of Glen Drive from East Hastings Street to East Cordova Street
We're in the earliest stages of planning a new, above-ground, indoor substation in East Vancouver to meet the changing electricity needs of the community. A substation is used to convert high-voltage electricity to a lower voltage for use in homes and businesses.
The East Vancouver Substation will eventually replace Murrin Substation on Main Street. Murrin Substation was built in 1947 – it's nearing-end-life and doesn't meet modern seismic safety standards.
It's also important to have a substation close to the centre of where electricity is needed so that it can be delivered efficiently and reliably. Since Murrin was built, we've seen the demand for electricity shift east of Murrin, which is why we're planning to build the new substation closer to the centre of where customers are using power.
This new substation will be located at 303 Vernon Drive, north of Hastings Street, in an industrial-zoned area.
East Vancouver Substation location map
Select the project map [PDF, 1.4 MB] to view it at a larger size.
We purchased the site for this new substation in 2017 so that we would have enough space, in the right location, when the new substation was needed.
We're at the earliest stage of planning this project. The earliest that construction could begin is 2027 and we expect it would take about four years to build the substation.
We'll follow our usual process of informing and engaging with Indigenous Nations, stakeholders, and the community on this project. We expect that you'll have the opportunity to share input on the design and construction plans for the new substation.
Reports and documents
Get in touch
If you'd like to learn more about the project, please contact us at:
Email: projects@bchydro.com
Phone: 604 623 4472
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BC Hydro is collecting your personal information (specifically, name, and email), for the purposes of the East Vancouver Substation Project and will be used to contact you in the future about project updates, correspondence and notifications about future consultation opportunities. This is done in accordance with BC Hydro's obligations under the Utilities Commission Act and under the authority of the Hydro and Power Authority Act. Data may be stored outside of Canada. If you have specific questions about the project or privacy concerns, please contact projects@bchydro.com.