Timeline
1985
Wayne Gorrie founds Gulf Island Boat Builders based on Mudge Island BC. Delivers first order of fiberglass tanks to the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo via catamaran.
1986
Sea Springs Salmon in Chemainus BC places first big order for fiberglass tanks.
1987
Big order of tanks for DFO – West Vancouver Laboratory
1987
Roger Coleman & Susan Earl join and incorporate as Pacific Rim Aqua Supplies
1989
Wayne meets Hermann Kristjansson of Vaki at Aquaculture America in New Orleans and Pacific Rim Aqua Supplies becomes the distributor for Vaki in North America creating a partnership that would last for over 30 years and a friendship that continues today.
1989
The Pescalator in born. An Archimedes screw fish elevator that was available in pint, mid and jumbo sizes and could safely and gently handle live fish from 5g up to 20kg. The word pescalate became a verb as in “Lets pescalate the fish out of the net pen”
1990
Pacific Rim Aqua Supplies changes its name to PR Aqua Supplies Ltd.
1990
PR Aqua opens its new 12,000sqft factory at Harold Road Nanaimo.
1992
PR Aqua produces the first Rotofilter drum filter.
1992
The Pescollator fish grader is invented to grade fish. Available in 3 sizes for fish from 3g up to 7kg in size.
1992
The Magnus 2000 Power Puller is added to the product line. A portable capstan capable of pulling nets weighing 2,000lbs
1997
PR Aqua Field Services opens to provide construction and installation services of PR Aqua designed systems.
1998
PR Aqua Technologies is opened to provide engineering and design services to the growing aquaculture industry in Canada.
1998
PR Aqua completes construction of the Target Marine Grey Creek Hatchery - the first commercial Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) in Canada which is still in operation today.
2001
PR Aqua Chile opens an office in Puerto Montt, Chile to provide equipment and design expertise to the Chilean salmon aquaculture market.
2002
The Heathro Fish Pump is launched. This revolutionary cart mounted, self-priming 6” fish pump safely pumps fish from 0.2g up to 400g over distances exceeding 500m. It’s a game changer for fish handling and improves fish health due to decreased stress and makes hatchery operations more efficient. Over 500 Heathro pumps have been sold worldwide to date.
2002
Marine Harvest Canada opens their new Big Tree Creek fry and smolt facility in Sayward BC which is designed, built, and supported by the PR Aqua group of companies. This would be the first of many projects that PR Aqua would complete for Marine Harvest (MOWI) in North America and Chile.
2003
Marine Harvest Chile – Rio Copihue Hatchery designed by PR Aqua becomes the first RAS facility in Chile.
2006
Oxytower Gas Transfer Tower - stacked combination CO2 stripper Low Head Oxygenator (LHO) hits the market.
2007
Target Marine Sturgeon Growout RAS facility completed for the production of caviar.
2008
Chelan PUD Eastbank Hatchery Pilot RAS project. First application of RAS in Columbia River Basin salmon enhancement hatchery.
2011
State of Alaska Ruth Burnett Hatchery, Fairbanks AK. Sport fish enhancement hatchery to raise multiple salmonid species in 5,200m2 building.
2012
State of Alaska William Jack Hernandez Hatchery, Anchorage, AK is the largest public RAS facility in the world raising 6 million fish annually to supplement the sport fishing industry in the state.
2012
PR Aqua sold to In-Situ, a water quality monitoring company in Fort Collins, CO. Nanaimo factory is closed and production moved to contract manufacturers.
2013
Namgis First Nation Kuterra Salmon – first commercial land-based RAS for Atlantic Salmon to demonstrate the economic viability of growing Atlantic Salmon on land.
2013
Wayne Gorrie retires from PR Aqua.
2015
PR Aqua becomes part of the Pentair Aquatic Ecosystems group of companies and our products are absorbed into the Pentair Aquatic Ecosystems brand. The PR Aqua team leads custom product development and solutions delivery.
2018
Leave Pentair and reforms as original PR Aqua brand, retaining the full team and experience to focus on engineering and design of RAS and becomes a leader in North America as RAS solutions provider.
2019
Hydrotech selects PR Aqua as a distributor of their world-renowned water filtration equipment in North America to the aquaculture industry.
2020
PR Aqua becomes the Atlantium Distributor in Canada for their medium pressure UV systems.
2021
Mowi Canada East opens the Indianhead hatchery post smolt facility in Stephenville, NL which was designed by PR Aqua.
2023
PR Aqua moves to current office location at 5148 Metral Drive Nanaimo
2024
PR Aqua is contracted to design Sapphire Springs Inc – Rockwood. Currently under construction it aims to grow 5,000mT of Arctic Char.
2025 and beyond
PR Aqua will focus on standardization of modular systems that will allow our clients to optimize production and use of capital while establishing ourselves as the premier cool and cold-water RAS technology provider in North America.