Prince Rupert Port Authority president Don Krusel outlined a plan to expand the facility to meet the demand expected to emerge as China becomes the world's largest economy.
The country is expected to reach that status within five to eight years, and in terms of port development, that's not far off said Krusel.
"From my perspective, that's like being tomorrow because it takes that amount of time for any of us to plan, develop and build any kind of infrastructure at the port to accommodate the expected economic growth that could come and will come from the astounding growth of China," Krusel said.
The port has already undergone an expansion that doubled its capacity to 24 million tonnes and there are plans to double that again.
But that's only the beginning. The port's "2020 Vision" encompasses a number of proposed developments located primarily on its Ridley Island site where this is over 1,000 acres of tidewater industrial land.
The Fairview container terminal is about to undergo a series of expansions that will see it grow from about 750,000 containers a year to 1.2 million and then on to 2 million annually.
Plans are in place for four bulk terminal sites each with at least 10 million tonnes of cargo throughput and an import-export logistics park is in the works to provide warehousing, transloading and reloading of containers.
Also on tap is a 150-acre general cargo terminal to handle a "wide variety" of dry bulk cargos such as mineral concentrates, wood pellets, forest product, aggregates and project cargo.
And a barge and short-sea shipping terminal is planned to allow coastal trade to expand.
"That's a big and bold list," Krusel said. "A list that will add up to 100 million tonnes of shipping capacity to Canada's west coast."
Currently, the port directly supports an estimated 1,500 jobs and about $80 million of salaries and wages rising to nearly 3,000 person years of employment and $150 million in wages once indirect support is included.
If all the expansion plans are realized, those numbers will rise significantly - to 4,000 person years of direct employment and $310 million of wages and salaries throughout the northern corridor.
"But just as important, we must consider the port's role as the trade solution where it enables development of new metal mines, new coal mines, lumber mill expansions and much, much more," Krusel said. "The port is the key that unlocks the door to new investments and jobs."
The impact will reach into the prairies, Krusel added, enabling easier shipment of potash and grain.
Port Metro Vancouver president Robin Silvester
Local MLA Shirley Bond said port development is "absolutely crucial" to economic development.
