Terminals and facilities

As a Canada Port Authority, we are mandated to enable Canada’s trade through the Port of VancouverWe lease out port lands and waters to companies that operate marine terminals and ship cargo through the port. We also work with port tenants and terminal operators to help them prepare for trade growth through the port.

Containers

Did you know? One container through the Port of Vancouver represents:

  • Over $500 in wages
  • Almost $1,000 in GDP
  • Almost $2,000 in economic output

We work with terminal operators to find opportunities to:  

  • increase the capacity and efficiency of existing container terminals 
  • convert existing under-utilized terminals to handle containers 
  • build a new terminal 

In some cases, we take on a more proactive role in leading terminal projects, such as our involvement in helping to grow capacity for shipping container terminals at the Port of VancouverGlobally, the use of containers to transport goods has been growing for decades. As a result of this growth, Canada’s West Coast ports are forecast to run out of terminal capacity for moving and storing shipping containers by the mid to late 2020s. As a port authority, we get involved in container capacity projects because, unlike other terminals, which each are owned and operated by single companies, container terminals are considered “common use”, which means the containers themselves are used by many different companies. By leading container terminal expansion and development projects, we are readying both the port and the port community to meet the growing demand for containerized cargo. 

Location

Project name

Type of improvement

Status

Roberts Bank Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility Project  Construction of a new examination facility   Completed in 2020 
Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project  New container terminal  Approved by Government of Canada (April 2023); work to obtain other approvals and permits continues
South Shore Trade Area Centerm Expansion Project Improvements to existing container terminal  Completed in early 2023 
Sterling Shipyard Remediation and Infill Project Remediation and infill project Preliminary design and permitting
North Shore Trade Area  n/a
Fraser River Trade Area Annacis Auto Terminal Optimization Project Improvements to existing auto terminal  In construction