Ottawa designates Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion a project of national interest

The federal government has listed the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion at the Port of Vancouver as a project of national interest.

Ottawa said the $5.9-billion container terminal in Delta, B.C., is expected to increase the port’s container capacity by about 50 per cent.

It said the project will help avert costly bottlenecks as Canada’s largest port faces increasing trade volumes and capacity shortfalls.

The project received federal environmental approval in 2023 and is awaiting final permits.

Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said Friday at the Port of Vancouver that the new designation will help speed up that permitting process.

“Most importantly, what it does is give us certainty around timing,” he said.

MacKinnon said the project has already undergone more than a decade of regulatory reviews and consultations with Indigenous groups.

“After 13 years of looking at this from every possible angle, it is time to decide and move on,” he said.

He said the move will accelerate the beginning of commercial operations by up to four years, from 2039 to 2035

The federal government estimates the project will contribute about $3 billion annually to Canada’s GDP during operations and support approximately $100 billion in trade annually.

“The project will help cement our province’s role as Canada’s leading trade gateway, attracting investment and ensuring our economy remains competitive on the world stage,” said B.C. Premier-elect Lorne Doerkson.

Tsawwassen Chief Laura Cassidy said the First Nation has granted consent for the project, but it still has concerns about the long-term impacts on the Fraser River Estuary and the Salish Sea.

“At the same time, years of consultation has resulted in a deeper understanding of those impacts and how they can be addressed,” she said.

She said the project includes accommodations for Tsawwassen harvesters, positive environmental measures, and commitments to ongoing oversight as the project goes ahead.

Environmental organizations have also raised concerns about the impact of the project on marine life, including potential harm to Chinook salmon populations and the endangered southern resident killer whale population.

Environmental law charity Ecojustice condemned the federal government’s decision to designate the expansion as a project of national interest.

It said in a statement Friday the designation “risks sidelining environmental safeguards and putting endangered wildlife in the path of irreversible harm.”

The federal government’s release highlighted investments of nearly $2 billion to protect at-risk marine species, and ongoing efforts to reduce underwater noise from vessels.