Port of Vancouver

The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada and the fourth largest in North America by tonnes of cargo. It helps trade between Canada and more than 170 world economies. The port is managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, which was created in 2008 by joining together three older port groups: the former Port of Vancouver, the North Fraser Port Authority, and the Fraser River Port Authority. This port is very important for shipping and for how land and sea are used in the Metro Vancouver region.

History

Predecessors

Before the creation of a new authority, there were three separate port authorities in the Metro Vancouver region: the Port of Vancouver, the largest port in Canada; the Fraser River Port Authority; and the North Fraser Port Authority.

The Vancouver Port Authority managed the Port of Vancouver, the largest port in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. It started with the opening of Ballantyne Pier in 1923 and had 25 major terminals. In 2005/2006, it handled lots of cargo, containers, cruise passengers, and foreign ships. It managed 233 km of coastline from Vancouver to the Canada–United States border.

The Fraser River Port Authority was created in 1913 to manage ports along the Fraser River. It was the second largest port in Vancouver and stretched along the river to the Fraser Valley. In 2007, it handled millions of tonnes of cargo, including logs, cement, and automobiles, and was the largest auto port in Canada.

The North Fraser Port Authority was formed in 1913 and was the smallest of the three ports. Located on the north arm of the Fraser River, it mainly handled logs and wood fibre.

Merger

Even though the ports were doing well on their own, rules from the government made it hard for them to work together. In 2006, it was noticed that some docks were empty because a big shipping company moved to the Port of Vancouver. To make things better, the government allowed the three authorities to study joining together. After studying, they found many benefits, and in 2007, they were allowed to merge. The merger happened on January 1, 2008, creating Port Metro Vancouver.

Post-merger

In 2013, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority also joined with Canada Place Corporation, which used to run Canada Place for the Port of Vancouver.

In 2016, the port authority decided to go back to using "Port of Vancouver" for the port and "Vancouver Fraser Port Authority" for its activities.

Responsibility

The Port of Vancouver is managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, which used to be called Port Metro Vancouver. Its job is to take care of the lands around Vancouver, British Columbia, that are used for ports. It works to move goods and people efficiently while also thinking about the environment and the community.

In 1999, the port started taking care of the deep water path in the Fraser River. Before that, the government took care of it. Because of this work, big ships can use the river. In 2014, the port was very important for trade, helping move goods worth about $240 billion and supporting many jobs across Canada.

Major initiatives

The Container Capacity Improvement Program (CCIP) is a long-term plan for the port to handle more container traffic, which is expected to grow a lot by 2030. This program includes projects to make current facilities work better and to build new ones as needed. Some of these projects are the Deltaport Terminal Road and Rail Improvement Project (DTRRIP) and the plan for Roberts Bank Terminal 2.

DTRRIP will upgrade roads and rail to increase Deltaport's ability to handle containers by 600,000 TEUs, using the space it already has. The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project is a new plan for a marine container terminal that could add space for 2.4 million TEUs each year to meet future needs.

North Shore Trade Area projects

• Western Level Lower Level Route Extension
• Pemberton Avenue Grade Separation
• Low Level Road Realignment
• Neptune/Cargill Grade Separation
• Brooksbank Avenue Underpass
• Lynn Creek Rail Bridge Addition

South Shore Trade Area projects

• Powell Street Grade Separation
• Stewart Street/Victoria Overpass

Environmental initiatives

• Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program (2014-2021)

Terminals and facilities

The Port of Vancouver has 29 special places for ships, both big ones that come from far away and smaller ones that stay nearby. These places help with five kinds of work: cars, different kinds of goods not in boxes, large amounts of one kind of thing, boxes full of things, and ships for people to enjoy trips.

Automobile terminals

• Annacis Auto Terminals
• Richmond Auto Terminal

Break-bulk terminals

• Fraser Surrey Docks
• Lynnterm

Bulk terminals

• Alliance Grain Terminal
• Cargill
• Cascadia
• Chemtrade Chemicals
• Fibreco
• Fraser Grain Terminal
• G3 Terminal Vancouver
• IOCO
• Lantic Inc.
• Neptune Bulk Terminals
• Pacific Coast Terminals
• Pacific Elevators
• Parkland Terminal
• Richardson International
• Shellburn
• Suncor Energy - Burrard Products Terminal
• Univar Canada Terminal
• Vancouver Wharves
• West Coast Reduction
• Westridge Marine Terminal
• Westshore Terminals

Container terminals

• Centerm
• Deltaport
• Fraser Surrey Docks
• Vanterm

Cruise terminals

• Canada Place

Smuggling

The Port of Vancouver has faced challenges with organized crime groups using the port to move illegal goods. Reports have shown that some workers at the port have ties to these groups, making it harder to stop illegal activities.

Efforts to improve security and stop smuggling continue, but the port remains a key location for moving illegal items both into and out of Canada.