The Port of Vancouver upgrade has been referred to the federal Major Projects Office (MPO) for possible fast-tracking.
Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said in Delta on Thursday the port’s future growth is limited by aging infrastructure, rail bottlenecks and limited industrial land.
“To compete in a changing global economy we need to invest now so this gateway has the capacity and reliability Canadian exporters depend on,” said MacKinnon. “And to support that growth, we need to ensure a new and broader approach for environmental protections that encompass the region, versus project-by-project, and support the future growth of Canada’s largest marine trading corridor.”
MacKinnon said the upgrade project, known as the Gateway Strategy, would support Canada’s goal of doubling exports to non-U.S. markets by 2035.
He said the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 is being referred to the MPO for potential listing as a project of national interest, which would speed up the timeline for federal approval.
The proposed three-berth container terminal at Roberts Bank is expected to increase the port’s container capacity by 50 per cent.
The Port of Vancouver said earlier this week it had selected TerraMarine as a preferred proponent for the project, which would involve constructing a new marine landmass and wharf, expanding the causeway and tug basin, and other environmental offsetting projects.
Ottawa said the project has already undergone more than a decade of regulatory reviews and consultations with Indigenous groups. It completed a federal impact assessment in 2023 and is awaiting final permits.
MacKinnon said consultations with jurisdictions and First Nations would begin immediately as the MPO decides whether to list the project.
B.C. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said the investments would allow for increased trade in the Indo-Pacific region, at a time when Canada’s relationship with the U.S. is uncertain.
“We need to do it in a way that respects treaty rights of Indigenous First Nations, protects the environment, and ensures that we’re doing the project the right way. Today’s announcement ensures that that is going to happen,” said Farnworth.
The termination point for the West Coast Oil Pipeline proposed by Alberta is being considered as part of the infrastructure plans for the port.
The federal government also said the MPO may support the port authority in the process of selecting an operator for its Fraser Wharves terminal site in Richmond.
It said the MPO and Transport Canada are working on a rail infrastructure strategy to improve the supply chain to the port.
The federal government said the port’s trade activities contribute $16.3 billion to Canada’s GDP every year.
Environmental organizations and First Nations have raised concerns about the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project.
The Raincoast Conservation Foundation says the Fraser River Estuary, where the proposed project would be built, has already lost more than 85 per cent of its floodplain habitat.
The foundation said the project would have permanent impacts on Fraser Chinook salmon populations and the endangered southern resident killer whale population.
