The federal government has moved a plan to expand the Port of Vancouver to Canada’s Major Projects Office, a step that could speed a project long opposed by environmental groups.
Government pushes “transformational” upgrade
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced the move at a news conference on the Roberts Bank terminal in Delta, B.C., describing the expansion as a “transformational strategy” aimed at growing and diversifying trade.
The proposal, called the Gateway Strategy, focuses on four pillars. The most visible component is Roberts Bank Terminal 2, a three‑berth terminal that would lift container capacity by roughly 50 percent.
According to the minister, the new terminal could generate up to $100 billion in annual trade capacity and add about $3 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product each year.
Other pillars involve expanding bulk terminal capacity, improving rail links, and adding safeguards for the Southern Resident killer whale habitat. The plan also includes a 16‑hectare Fraser Wharves site in Richmond, with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority set to pick an operator next week.
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Reactions from business and conservation groups
The Vancouver Board of Trade welcomed the announcement, calling it “a big win for the British Columbia business community and the Canadian economy.” Board president Bridgitte Anderson said the federal move injects urgency into supply‑chain needs.
Conversely, the Wilderness Committee’s conservation and policy campaigner Lucero González called the fast‑track referral “extremely concerning.” She warned that the project threatens endangered species, including the declining Southern Resident killer whale populations, and suggested the government is bypassing permitting processes.
González added, “If anything, it is almost reinvigorating the argument of how bad this project is for the economy, for jobs, for the environment, and for the communities around the Fraser River estuary.” She emphasized that environmental concerns have not changed in a decade.
Next steps and broader context
Alberta’s West Coast oil pipeline, which would terminate at Roberts Bank, is also part of the broader infrastructure discussion linked to the port expansion.
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