Following a robust and science-based environmental assessment conducted by an independent Review Panel and significant work to address concerns highlighted by the Panel report, the Government of Canada has decided the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project can proceed subject to 370 legally binding conditions to protect the environment, including to prevent harm to local species.
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The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project, a port expansion project proposed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, will be key to supporting Canada’s economic growth over the coming years.
Canada’s Pacific Gateway is Canada’s most important trade corridor, with over $275 billion of trade passing through the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority each year.
In the coming years, the Government believes Canada’s major west coast ports will reach maximum capacity, meaning congestion will become a chronic issue. This project would increase the port’s capacity by 50 per cent.
Without this port expansion, $3 billion in added GDP would be jeopardized by capacity shortages. The project is also expected to create hundreds of jobs during construction, and several hundred more both onsite and off-site during operations.
As a condition of approval of the project, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority must also put in place a $150-million financial guarantee to ensure funds are available for the first three years of construction to comply with these legally binding conditions.
The legally binding protection measures placed on this project build on existing and planned work by the Government of Canada to protect local species and marine mammals on the West Coast including Southern resident killer whales and Chinook salmon.
This includes Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan, which is providing over $3.5 billion to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways, a new $151.9 million through Budget 2023 to protect endangered whales which is a renewal of the Whale Initiative first announced in 2018, and $165.4 million through Budget 2023 to establish a Green Shipping Corridor Program to spur the launch of the next generation of clean ships, invest in shore power technology, and prioritize low-emission and low-noise vessels at ports.
Additionally, federal finance tools are available to further support efforts to reduce noise impacts to species and reduce GHGs This includes the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which as part of its $5 billion Public Transit priority, has financing available for conversion to zero-emission ferries.
The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project, proposed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), is a three-berth marine container terminal located at Roberts Bank in Delta, British Columbia, about 35 kilometres south of Vancouver.
The project is expected to create 1,500 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs once built. The port supports 115,300 jobs across Canada, pays $7 billion in wages, and contributes about $12 billion of GDP to Canada annually. ■