Port of Vancouver operations update

November 25, 2021

To Port of Vancouver’s valued customers and stakeholders,

Increased precipitation across southwestern B.C. is forecast for the remainder of this week and over the weekend. Intermittent closures may occur on restored rail and road infrastructure to ensure safe transit.

The Government of Canada and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority are undertaking a joint initiative to provide additional container storage capacity to ease supply chain constraints and bottlenecks in the Lower Mainland areas exacerbated by extreme weather disruptions. The project includes preparation of a 40-acre site within the Fraser Richmond Industrial Lands for the temporary handling and storage of empty containers. Work to prepare the site for storage services and contract an operator will occur over the coming weeks. The site is expected to be used until service levels return to pre-flood conditions.

Government of Canada news release:  Supply Chain Container Storage Project

Rail operations:  CP is implementing its operational plan to process the backlog of trains waiting to transit between Vancouver and Kamloops. Both CP and CN trains will operate on the restored line and transit in accordance with low-speed restrictions to enable monitoring of rail infrastructure. Intermittent closures to address repairs and ensure safe operations may occur. CN anticipates opening of their mainline within the next 24 hours. Both railways continue to monitor rainfall levels in the rail corridor and have plans in place for additional track patrols and monitoring.

Port of Vancouver rail production (November 25):

  • Grain unloads:  200
  • Container terminal rail production:  0 ft
  • Container import on-dock footage:  337,702 ft

Truck operations:  Truck operations at all four container terminals remain steady. Reconstruction and repairs continue on major roadways across the region.  Intermittent closures and travel restrictions may occur as rain volumes increase over the coming days.

Port of Vancouver truck activity (November 25):

  • Container truck reservations:  2,090

Marine operations:  Anchorage demand continues to be high across all vessel types. Anchorages are assigned in a manner that ensures fluidity across all ship types and maintains essential services. Vessels in port can be viewed on the home page of the PortVan eHub app by selecting “Vessels in Port”.

Port of Vancouver anchorage occupation (November 25):

  • Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (English Bay, inner habour, Indian Arm):  56%
  • Southern Gulf Islands:  66%

The provincial state of emergency declared by the British Columbia Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General remains in place. The state of emergency effective November 17, 2021 applies to the entire province of B.C. for an initial 14-day period and may be extended or rescinded as conditions require.

We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed on any new developments as they arise.

Resources:

  • Port import rail on-dock footage summary: Import Rail On-dock Footage (updated daily Monday-Friday)
  • PortVan eHub app: access real-time insights into Port of Vancouver operations via the port authority’s mobile app eHub.  Download from the port authority’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 authority’s website (Performance Metrics).
  • Port operations updates: Operations Updates
  • State of Emergency Declaration:  State of Emergency Declaration (issued November 17, 2021)

Please feel free to forward this update within your organization.

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