Provincial Government to invest 25 million dollars towards improvements and expanded operations at the Port of Prince Rupert

The Province of British Columbian has announced funding
for a much anticipated Export Terminal on Ridley Island

The Ridley Island Export Logistics Platform will see some significant investment from the Province of British Columbia, with North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice relaying word today of 25 million dollars set to be provided to the Prince Rupert Port Authority in support of expanded operations on the North Coast.

“Our investment in the Port of Prince Rupert will help create new good-paying jobs in our region, while improving western trade corridors and helping Canadian importers and exporters get goods to market. It will support regional businesses and provide the necessary infrastructure to boost our provincial economy to help build back stronger from the hit of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an important investment in the future of Prince Rupert and of B.C. as a whole.”

MLA Rice relayed the enthusiasm of the NDP government for the project on behalf of Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Rob Fleming in today's announcement 

The project located at the very south side of Ridley Island is led by the PRPA, it will cover more than 28 hectares (70 acres),  and will create a platform to enhance the port’s capacity for transloading B.C. and western Canadian natural resource products for containerized export by sea to international markets. 

Transloading is the process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another. Once built, this new platform will increase the port’s export transloading capacity from 75,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to over 400,000 TEUs annually. 

The completed project will come with new and updated rail tracks and dedicated roadways to and from the Fairview Container Terminal. It will also feature new offloading and storage facilities plus related large-scale equipment.

The Metlakatla First Nation is a partner with the Port in a number of initiatives and today hailed the investment into the project and the opportunities it will present. 

As part of today's announcement Metlakatla Chief Councillor Harold Leighton reflected on the many investments in the growing export sector and port development that Metlakatla is a part of.

“Metlakatla First Nation participates in many aspects of the growth of the container business at the Port of Prince Rupert through our agreements, port infrastructure construction projects and entrepreneurial ventures like Gat Leedm trucking, the largest container trucking operation in Prince Rupert. The development of the export logistics platform is another opportunity to continue our shared success through both business and employment opportunities.”

For it's part, the Prince Rupert Port Authority observed as to how the project will continue to support the Port's goals of diversification at facilities that serve the port's terminals.

“We thank the B.C. government for investing in the development of the Ridley Island Export Logistics Platform, and its recognition of the value it will create for B.C. export industries and the communities that economically rely on them. This pivotal project presents an unprecedented opportunity for sustainable economic recovery, improved competitiveness, and greater diversification and stability throughout northern B.C.” -- Shaun Stevenson, president and CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority.

The full statement on today's funding announcement can be reviewed here.

The Port's information page related to the project can be viewed here.

For a look at some of our past notes on the Ridley Island Logistics Platform see our archive page here.

A wider overview of Port related notes is available here, while Provincial government themes are reviewed from our Legislature Archive.