White sails on Canada Place being replaced

The signature white sail roof on Canada Place in Vancouver is being replaced after 20 years in service.
Completed for Expo 86, Canada Place is a convention centre and cruise ship terminal on the waterfront in the city’s downtown. It lies to the east of the new convention centre expansion that was recently completed for the Winter Olympics.
Birdair and Geiger Engineers are working on dismantling the 27-metre high roof and replacing it with a Ti02 Sheerfill fabric. Ledcor is the contractor.
The new sail fabric is oatmeal, but it will be bleached by the sun to a brilliant white — a process which begins immediately after being installed and takes place over a year. The new roof material is self-cleaning. The sun’s UV rays create a chemical reaction with the fabric that results in the decomposition of stains through oxidation.
The $21-million project is being funded by the Federal Infrastructure Action Plan.