Federal port strategy fast-tracks Roberts Bank Terminal 2 and rail expansion

The federal government is treating the Port of Vancouver as a single connected system rather than advancing individual projects separately, fast-tracking a broad expansion aimed at doubling Canadian exports to non-U.S. markets by 2035.

Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced this week that the Port of Vancouver Gateway Strategy has been referred to Prime Minister Mark Carney's Major Projects Office, which coordinates and accelerates infrastructure proposals deemed vital to the national economy. The strategy brings together plans for Roberts Bank Terminal 2 in Delta, additional bulk-export land, rail network improvements, and expanded environmental protections.

Roberts Bank Terminal 2 will add a three-berth container terminal on roughly 320 acres of newly created land through an expansion of the existing causeway. Once complete in the mid-2030s, it could increase the Port of Vancouver's container-handling capacity by approximately 50 per cent, supporting more than $100 billion in additional trade annually, contributing over $3 billion to Canada's economy each year, and sustaining roughly 17,000 jobs.

The terminal project is also being referred to the Major Projects Office for possible designation as a project of national interest under the federal Building Canada Act. With the Gateway Strategy referral, the Major Projects Office now oversees eight "transformative strategies" across the country, including the Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor for electrical and mining infrastructure in northwestern B.C. and southern Yukon, and the Alto High-Speed Rail project between Toronto and Quebec City.

In total, 20 projects are now referred to the office, with eight being B.C.-based. The Port of Vancouver serves as Canada's main gateway to Asia-Pacific markets.