With targeted investment, the Port of Prince Rupert can become a world-class port. The federal candidates in the Delta region have clearly recognized the importance of the Port of Prince Rupert and are committing to fighting the expansion of their “own” Deltaport.
The NDP’s Szilvia Barna answers the question : Do you support the Deltaport Terminal 2 (T2) plan? By saying: “No I don’t, it’s an environmental disaster. Our environment here is globally significant and this project shouldn’t be here to begin with, it should be up in Prince Rupert. They want to put a port there. If they put the port up in Prince Rupert, there’s two days less shipping coming over from Asia, so there’s less greenhouse gases, obviously, with two days less pollution. It also eliminates the problem with the South Fraser Perimeter Road, which we also wouldn’t need if there wasn’t this port. This port is a violation of several federal laws like the Species at Risk Act and also the Migratory Bird Convention Act”
The Conservative’s John Cummins replies with: “I think that with the addition now of this third berth we’ve got plenty of capacity in Delta….Prince Rupert, with the development of the container port there, is going to siphon off a good amount of traffic from Vancouver. I don’t think the prospects for Vancouver are quite as rosy as the folks out there would have you believe. I think the growth will remain strong, but I don’t think that it will grow to that extent. So, do we need this expansion? I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Our caucus and I wholeheartedly agree with these “potential” MPs and we have continuosly been pushing the province to use the massive funds they have set aside for the gateway project in the lower mainland on infrastructure for the Prince Rupert area instead. Our argument is that congestion in the lower mainland cannot be addressed as long as they continue to expand truck traffic from their ports.
Instead of spending billions on roadways that are going to fill up immediately, we are asking the government to target their funding at developing the necessary infrastructure in the northwest to ensure that Prince Rupert can be a world class port on par with those in Vancouver, Seattle and Los Angeles. This will expand the province’s ability to handle cargo while simultaneously easing traffic concerns in the lower mainland, which doesn’t have the ability to move cargo by rail with the same ease and capacity as the northwest.
If the government focuses on making the Port Prince Rupert a success instead of financing the construction of infrastructure for an expanded Deltaport, there will be huge environmental savings for the whole province. Deltaport is located in shallow waters which need to be dredged in order to ease expansion, destroying vital habitat for salmon and other fish in a region which has already seen the loss of many ecosystems due to development.
As one of the deepest ports in the world, development of the port of Prince Rupert does not require dredging and the subsequent destruction of the sea bed. There is room here to increase port activity without causing undue harm to ecosystems. Hopefully the government will see the environmental gains that can be made by supporting the development of infrastructure for Prince Rupert in order to hasten and aid the establishment of Prince Rupert as a world class port.
I believe we also need to push for both levels of government to move forward quickly…before “we miss the boat on port expansion” … on negotiations with the Coastal Tsimshian and others that may have traditional rights within the Port development area. The Supreme Court of Canada has clearly stated that the Federal Government has a duty to consult and accommodate aboriginal rights and title interests.
The Coastal Tsimshian have clearly expressed their belief that the Port Development provides a great opportunity to create a healthy economy for all residents in Prince Rupert and the immediate locality.
Investing in the Port of Prince Rupert is good for shippers, good for the environment and good for Prince Rupert and the surrounding region.