Port of Vancouver operations update

August 18, 2021

To Port of Vancouver’s valued customers and stakeholders,

Rain showers and thunderstorms are forecast to occur into the upcoming weekend throughout the B.C. interior. Wildfire growth is expected to slow with the return to cooler and near-seasonal temperatures.

CN and CP mainlines through the B.C. interior are operational with processed railcar volumes to and from the coast remaining consistent. Railways continue to operate under Ministerial Order (MO) 21-06 requirements. Full recovery of the rail transportation system is anticipated to be a few weeks away.

The provincial state of emergency declared by the British Columbia Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General has been extended until August 31, 2021. The state of emergency enables federal, provincial and local governments to allocate resources and deliver a coordinated response to protect the public.

Although on-dock container cargo remains high across all container terminals, it has been trending downward since the start of August from 398,000 to 290,000 feet. Import container rail loading averaged over 63,000 feet per day last week.

Bulk cargo rail volumes are flowing normally.

Anchorage availability is strong and reflects seasonal norms. Coal vessels at anchor are experiencing longer than average dwell times. Container vessel anchorages remain high with five vessels currently at anchor and five at berth. Vessels in port (at berth and at anchor) can be viewed on the home page of the PortVan eHub app by selecting “Vessels in Port.”

We are continuing to monitor the situation and will provide weekly updates every Wednesday or on an as-needed basis.

Resources:

  • Port import rail on-dock footage summary: Rail On-dock Footage (updated daily Monday-Friday)
  • PortVan eHub app: access real-time insights into Port of Vancouver operations via the port’s mobile app eHub. Download from the port’s website (eHub) or through the App Store (search for “PortVan eHub” or “Port of Vancouver”)
  • Port dashboard: view updates on import rail performance, truck terminal turn times, and gateway vessel on-time performance through the port’s website (Performance Metrics).
  • Port operations updates: Operations Updates
  • Ministerial Order 21-06 (MO 21-06):  Ministerial Order MO 21-06 (issued July 11, 2021)
  • BC Wildfire Dashboard: BC Wildfire Dashboard

Please feel free to forward this update within your organization.

Thank you for your continued support of the Port of Vancouver.