Prince Rupert port says expansion aims to strengthen Canada’s supply chain

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. – British Columbia’s most northerly deep sea port says expansion of its container terminal along with other upgrades will help the West Coast deal with future supply chain challenges.

The Port of Prince Rupert says container traffic has grown rapidly over the last five years and it is working with logistics company DP World Canada on a two-stage expansion of the Fairview Container Terminal to increase its capacity.

The first stage of the project is expected to be completed by midsummer, pushing terminal capacity to 1.6 million standard shipping containers.

A statement from the port says the second stage will boost capacity by a further 200,000 containers by 2024.

A new road for trucks from local loading and customs facilities directly to the expanded terminal is also due for completion within months, which the port says will ease vehicle and rail congestion.

The statement says the upgrades and other improvements will ensure Prince Rupert is an alternative if there are disruptions like last fall’s severe flooding that cut access between the Interior and Lower Mainland ports.

“In addition to advancing these critical projects right now, we’ll soon be sharing even larger plans that build on the advantages of northern B.C. to make Canada’s future supply chains more competitive and resilient,” Shaun Stevenson, president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, says in the statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2022.