Vancouver (Part II): Massive upgrade aims to build Canadaˇs perfect port

Yesterday, we spoke to Port Metro Vancouver president and CEO Robin Silvester about the labour unrest, which is one of the biggest fears facing the Canadian port. Today, The Container Shipping Manager delves further into Vancouver's huge investment in enhancing its rail and road connectivity and why the port is not threatened by the Panama Canal expansion and the all-water route to the east coast, as are the US west coast ports…

VANCOUVER is currently pursuing a huge C$1 billion (US$946,510 million) port expansion plan – perhaps as much as C$10 million once wider private participation kicks in. On paper at least it stacks up to be one of the biggest efforts ever to make Vancouver the best in the west if not much of the world.

Port Metro Vancouver president and CEO Robin Silvester, a tall Lancastrian from the north of England, came to the harbour five years ago to run the Centerm container terminal for P&O when it invested C$100 million in the property and spent another C$150 million on cranes, berths and dredging to boost capacity to 800,000 TEU.

(Source: Shipping Gazette)