Last week, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority kicked off procurement for the new Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project by issuing a request for qualification (RFQ). Bidders now have until September 25, 2025 to submit their qualifications with the hopes of eventually being selected to deliver this "nation-building project" in the Lower Mainland of BC.

The contract will include the delivery of an approximately 100-hectare marine landmass (~247 acres), 35-hectare widened causeway, 1,300-meter wharf structure and berth pocket, and expanded tug basin. And when complete by the mid-2030s, the new terminal is expected to create more than 17,000 well-paying long-term jobs, unlock $100 billion in new trade capacity, and contribute somewhere around $3 billion in annual GDP.

Here's a rendering of the new marine landmass:

The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada by tonnage and TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). It's also one of the largest in North America. This expansion is expected to increase its capacity by up to 50%, which could have it leap ahead of several major US ports by the time it's complete in the mid-30s. That could place it among the top 4 container ports in North America.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of this project for Canada. The economic center of gravity for the world is steadily moving toward East Asia. In the 1980s, if you were to map and drop a pin at this economic center — according to GDP — it would have landed in the North Atlantic (between the US and Europe). By 2030, this economic center is projected to be near the border of India and China.

Already, China is Canada's second largest trading partner (after the US). And over 60% of the container trade flowing through Vancouver is transpacific. More specifically, it is trade with China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and India. If we don't expand our port capacity and if we allow our container supply chain to become bottlenecked, well then these containers will simply shift south to the US West Coast. It's that simple.

Though this project was approved by the federal and provincial governments in 2023, it has faced stiff opposition from local community groups and environmentalists. This is partly why it took approximately 10 years. The Federal Environmental Assessment process began in 2013. And it wasn't until April 2023 that the feds granted approval with a list of 370 legally binding environmental conditions.

What this means is that by the time this project is (hopefully) complete in the mid-30s, it will have taken at least two decades! And perhaps even longer knowing how construction works. This is far too long, which is obviously why we are working to make changes to how we, as a country, green light important nation-building projects. There's no question that this is one of them, and so today I think it's important to celebrate this milestone.

It's time to build, Canada. And as fast as possible.

Last week, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority kicked off procurement for the new Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project by issuing a request for qualification (RFQ). Bidders now have until September 25, 2025 to submit their qualifications with the hopes of eventually being selected to deliver this "nation-building project" in the Lower Mainland of BC.

The contract will include the delivery of an approximately 100-hectare marine landmass (~247 acres), 35-hectare widened causeway, 1,300-meter wharf structure and berth pocket, and expanded tug basin. And when complete by the mid-2030s, the new terminal is expected to create more than 17,000 well-paying long-term jobs, unlock $100 billion in new trade capacity, and contribute somewhere around $3 billion in annual GDP.

Here's a rendering of the new marine landmass:

The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada by tonnage and TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). It's also one of the largest in North America. This expansion is expected to increase its capacity by up to 50%, which could have it leap ahead of several major US ports by the time it's complete in the mid-30s. That could place it among the top 4 container ports in North America.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of this project for Canada. The economic center of gravity for the world is steadily moving toward East Asia. In the 1980s, if you were to map and drop a pin at this economic center — according to GDP — it would have landed in the North Atlantic (between the US and Europe). By 2030, this economic center is projected to be near the border of India and China.

Already, China is Canada's second largest trading partner (after the US). And over 60% of the container trade flowing through Vancouver is transpacific. More specifically, it is trade with China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and India. If we don't expand our port capacity and if we allow our container supply chain to become bottlenecked, well then these containers will simply shift south to the US West Coast. It's that simple.

Though this project was approved by the federal and provincial governments in 2023, it has faced stiff opposition from local community groups and environmentalists. This is partly why it took approximately 10 years. The Federal Environmental Assessment process began in 2013. And it wasn't until April 2023 that the feds granted approval with a list of 370 legally binding environmental conditions.

What this means is that by the time this project is (hopefully) complete in the mid-30s, it will have taken at least two decades! And perhaps even longer knowing how construction works. This is far too long, which is obviously why we are working to make changes to how we, as a country, green light important nation-building projects. There's no question that this is one of them, and so today I think it's important to celebrate this milestone.

It's time to build, Canada. And as fast as possible.