Port of Vancouver operations update

November 29, 2021

To Port of Vancouver’s valued customers and stakeholders,

Heavy precipitation across southwestern B.C. is forecast for Tuesday.

Rail operations:  Both CP and CN eastbound and westbound trains are operating on CP’s mainline between Vancouver and Kamloops. Enhanced rail infrastructure inspections and maintenance by engineering teams and track patrols are ongoing. CN operated multiple trains on their rail line through the Fraser Canyon corridor over the weekend. They halted operations through a site impacted by heavy precipitation to undertake repairs.

Port of Vancouver rail production (November 29):

  • Grain unloads:  54
  • Container terminal rail production (updated reporting):
    • Nov 29 = 39,761 ft
    • Nov 28 = 10,988 ft
    • Nov 27 = 26,358 ft
    • Nov 26 = 27,565 ft
    • Nov 25 = 13,039 ft
  • Container import on-dock footage:  377,116 ft

Truck operations:  Container terminal truck activity is steady. With the exception of emergency travel, highways through the Fraser Canyon remain closed due to continuing rainfall in the area,

Port of Vancouver truck activity (November 29):

  • Container truck reservations:  2,044

Marine operations:  Demand for anchorages currently exceeds capacity. 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 29):

  • Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (English Bay, inner habour, Indian Arm):  78%
  • Southern Gulf Islands:  72%

An initiative is being undertaken 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 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.

Government of Canada news release:  Supply Chain Container Storage Project

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effective November 17, 2021 applies to the entire province of B.C. for an initial 14-day period and may be extended or rescinded as conditions require.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.