The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has commissioned the installation of new navigation aids in eastern Burrard Inlet that will enable safer and more efficient ship movements through the busy Second Narrows waterway.
This work includes installing two solar-powered range lights and a sector light off Berry Point, and illuminating the pillars of the Second Narrows Rail Bridge. Installation will start mid-January and is scheduled to be completed in the spring, with the navigation aids expected to be turned on and trialed by the Pacific Pilotage Authority and BC Coast Pilots starting late-April.
“The new navigation aids will enhance marine safety and offer ship operators moving through the Second Narrows and terminals located in eastern Burrard Inlet more flexibility in their scheduling—in line with our role as a Canada Port Authority to oversee the safe and efficient movement of goods and vessels on port waters,” said Sean Baxter, the port authority’s Acting Director of Marine Operations and Harbour Master. “They will also boost efficiency and fluidity by allowing nighttime eastbound transits for larger ships—increasing the transit windows available for cargo vessels to move through the Second Narrows traffic control zone by up to 38%.”
The navigation aids will support more than 500 cargo ships calls a year to seven marine terminals located in eastern Burrard Inlet and enable large ships to move through the Second Narrows in an eastbound direction at night, increasing transit capacity and fluidity in this key trade area at the Port of Vancouver.
Second Narrows (also called Traffic Control Zone 2) is the only area within the port where nighttime transit restrictions are in place. These restrictions—applicable to vessels above a certain size—are part of a suite of standards and procedures to facilitate safe transit through a narrow and constrained shipping channel and support other safety measures such as tug assist and pilot requirements.
This initiative builds on comprehensive risk and site assessments conducted in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, Pacific Pilotage Authority and BC Coast Pilots.
What are range lights?
Range lights provide spatial reference points to cargo ships transiting through confined waters such as the Second Narrows waterway. Captains and pilots use these visual markers to centre ships within navigational channels and maintain safe courses. Because their glow is only visible to large ships in transit, range lights are non-disruptive to surrounding communities and ecosystems.
About the Second Narrows navigation channel
Located in the heart of the Port of Vancouver’s inner harbour, the Second Narrows waterway runs under the Second Narrows Rail Bridge and connects the western and eastern parts of Burrard Inlet. Hundreds of cargo ships calling the seven marine terminals in eastern Burrard Inlet transit through the Second Narrows every year, making this navigation channel a key trade corridor for commodities such as petroleum products, potash, sulphur, lubricants, and sea salt, as well as for the local and national economies. Stringent safety procedures and requirements are in place in this busy waterway, including mandatory tug escorts and supervision from highly trained local marine pilots, to ensure all commercial ships can move through these waters safely and efficiently.
Enabling safer and more efficient goods movement by ships
Once installed, the navigation aids at Berry Point and the Second Narrows Rail Bridge will help:
Strengthen marine safety
for the benefit of all port users and local communities
Improve the efficiency and reliability of the flow of goods
through enhanced ship traffic fluidity
Alleviate the demand for daytime ship transits
in the busy Second Narrows and associated port congestion
Reduce the need to anchor and associated dwell times
for ships calling marine terminals in eastern Burrard Inlet
For more information
- Visit the Active Vessel Traffic Management (AVTM) Program webpage for an overview of our ongoing work to enhance navigational safety, ship traffic fluidity and throughput capacity at the Port of Vancouver to accommodate growing trade
- Browse our Port Information Guide to learn more about the practices and procedures designed to promote safe and efficient navigation within the waters of the Port of Vancouver, while protecting the marine environment. This includes current nighttime transit restrictions in Traffic Control Zone 2 for all vessels 230 m or longer or with a moulded breadth of 35 m or wider (page 93)