PLANS for a new container terminal at Canada's largest ocean gateway may have cleared a major hurdle but it has been met with misgivings by the local community, environmental groups and labour unions.
The federal government has given the thumbs-up to adding a second container facility adjacent to the port of Vancouver's Deltaport terminal at Roberts Bank.
'With this approval, we can advance one of Canada's most important trade infrastructure projects bolster our national supply-chain resilience and deliver generational economic benefits for Canadians and Canadian businesses,' said Robin Silvester, president and CEO of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA).
Ottawa's approval comes with 370 legally binding conditions, from protection of fish and shorebird habitats to a prohibition of new noise that would affect orcas. Nevertheless, environmental protection groups have expressed worries about potentially severe impacts of the project on wildlife.
The mayor of the municipality of Delta, where the terminal will be built, also voiced concerns. Besides potential ecological damage, he pointed to the impact on traffic, indigenous rights and the need for better policing to combat smuggling at the port, reports London's Loadstar.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in February sent an open letter to the government expressing concern over the impact of the new terminal on the environment and on jobs. Of particular concern to the union is the question of automation.
Rob Ashton, president of ILWU Canada, was scathing in his response to the green light for the project. He said: 'This has been a horrible decision by the federal government. The effect on the environment and workers in this province and country we feel will be catastrophic.'
Transport minister Omar Alghabra said all container facilities used automation and that the new terminal would be 'semi-automated'. According to him, the project will support up to 1,500 direct jobs at the terminal and 15,000 beyond, such as in trucking and warehousing.
SeaNews Turkey
The federal government has given the thumbs-up to adding a second container facility adjacent to the port of Vancouver's Deltaport terminal at Roberts Bank.
'With this approval, we can advance one of Canada's most important trade infrastructure projects bolster our national supply-chain resilience and deliver generational economic benefits for Canadians and Canadian businesses,' said Robin Silvester, president and CEO of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA).
Ottawa's approval comes with 370 legally binding conditions, from protection of fish and shorebird habitats to a prohibition of new noise that would affect orcas. Nevertheless, environmental protection groups have expressed worries about potentially severe impacts of the project on wildlife.
The mayor of the municipality of Delta, where the terminal will be built, also voiced concerns. Besides potential ecological damage, he pointed to the impact on traffic, indigenous rights and the need for better policing to combat smuggling at the port, reports London's Loadstar.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in February sent an open letter to the government expressing concern over the impact of the new terminal on the environment and on jobs. Of particular concern to the union is the question of automation.
Rob Ashton, president of ILWU Canada, was scathing in his response to the green light for the project. He said: 'This has been a horrible decision by the federal government. The effect on the environment and workers in this province and country we feel will be catastrophic.'
Transport minister Omar Alghabra said all container facilities used automation and that the new terminal would be 'semi-automated'. According to him, the project will support up to 1,500 direct jobs at the terminal and 15,000 beyond, such as in trucking and warehousing.
SeaNews Turkey