After Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier David Eby announced the Canada – B.C. Cooperative Prosperity Agreement, Delta’s shipping port is now the centre of attention.
As part of the landmark deal that will channel billions of dollars in federal funding to projects in B.C., Ottawa is committing $10 billion to upgrade infrastructure at the Roberts Bank Terminal (RBT) in Delta.
“As we look to double exports, that’s going to require a lot more capacity, and thankfully we have game-changing projects on the horizon like Roberts Bank Terminal 2 that’s going to increase container trade capacity by $100 billion annually,” Alexa Young told CityNews, a spokesperson for the Port of Vancouver.
The port also proposed to be the end of Alberta’s new pipeline route as the federal and provincial governments uphold the northern tanker ban, a move welcomed by coastal First Nations who rely on the critical waters.
“We have been supporting this type of measure for at least five decades, and we had members there in the late 70s talking about what the impacts would be, talking about if an oil spill happened in our territory that it would finish us,” said Chief Marilyn Sleet of the Heiltsuk Nation.
“We rely upon a healthy ocean for our way of life, our sustenance, for a sustainable economy. Some of our members harvest up to 60 per cent of their food from the ocean.”
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Premier Eby says that the deal includes compensation for the environmental risks B.C. takes on with a pipeline.
“This agreement doesn’t require us to support any pipeline proposal from Alberta; however, as I’ve said before, we recognize our constitutional position, and we do not have the authority to stop a new pipeline. That’s why this agreement matters,” Eby said.
“It ensures that the c tanker ban stays in place, and it ensures that if a pipeline goes ahead, that British Columbians are fairly compensated for the environmental risks we would take on any new pipeline project.”
“We are happy that both governments have once again recognized what we have always known: that the Great Bear Sea is no place for oil tankers,” Chief Marilyn Sleet added.
The Premier says that all the projects will be done in partnership with local First Nations and help build B.C.’s future for generations to come.
But the expansion is also drawing criticism from environmental advocates who have long warned about the impacts to the endangered southern resident killer whales.
“All of that together is happening in the Fraser River; I can tell you that my reaction is it is an ecological nightmare,” said Lucero Gonzales, conservation policy campaigner at the Wilderness Committee.
“Any more added traffic into the habitat of these orcas will increase underwater noise, will make food scarcer, and will make it harder for these orcas to communicate, to hunt, and to rest. This environment is already a very noisy environment, even without the construction of RBT 2 or a new pipeline. You cannot add any more noise to this environment without driving these species to extinction.”
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says it was not involved in discussions about the pipeline route and will be reviewing potential impacts.
The new terminal is still waiting on a Species at Risk Act permit, with construction slated to begin in 2028.
The agreement between Ottawa and B.C. also includes investments accelerating LNG projects, $500 million to expand the Red Chris Mine, $3.9 billion for the North Coast transmission line, and $3 billion towards replacement of the George Massey Tunnel.
“It means more good jobs for workers in this province. It means more opportunities to train for better pay; it means faster commutes for people, as we build critical infrastructure for the future of this province,” Eby said.
While Delta’s mayor is happy about the money, he says the timeline for that long-awaited tunnel is still unclear.
“We need to have some clarity and some answers with regards to the overall project, how much it’s going to cost, approximately, what are the timelines, and what are they doing to remove the risk that has come up with regards to building a new tunnel next to the existing tunnel,” George Harvie said.
– With files from Jan Schuermann.