Trumpeting Fairview Port to the world

The promise of containerization on the North coast continues to win over converts as word spreads about the plans for Fairview Container Port.

We feature two stories on the development out at Fairview Bay, one from the Northern View previewing a busy year ahead for the Port Corporation and then a report from Truck News.com which provides a story on the planning of phase two of Fairview.

If we build it, they will report it…

Port Authority president looks ahead to a busy 2007
By Shaun Thomas
The Northern View
Jan 10 2007

With 2006 in the books, Prince Rupert Port Authority President and CEO Don Krusel said he and the rest of the team at the Port Authority are looking ahead to what should be a very busy year in 2007.

“It is going to be very exciting. 2007 will go on record as a very pivotal and significant year for the port because it will be the year that we become a container port after several decades of trying to get here,” he said.

“Our main energy and desire is to get the container port complete.”

And while 2007 will be the year phase I of the container port at Fairview Terminal comes online, Krusel said the group will also be hard at work on preparing to make phase II a reality.
“A great deal of our attention and focus will be on phase II. Clearly there is a need on the West Coast of North America for more container handling capacity and those that get it up and running the fastest will be the ones to benefit.”

“It is going to be a pretty significant challenge because the costs will be in excess of $600 million so it will take time to get the commercial pieces together to proceed with the project in 2008,” he said, noting that 2007 will really lay the groundwork needed for construction to start on phase II.

Along with the container port, Krusel said the Port Authority is working with Prince Rupert Grain and Ridley Terminals to increase their capacity and get new projects, like the wood pellet shipping facility, off the ground. He is also optimistic about the coming cruise ship season and the impact it will have on the community’s economy.

“From the prospective of the community 2007 will be a better year because there will be more cruise ship passengers circulating in the community for a longer period of time.”
“Every year we are focused on building that industry. Ultimately our objective is to get up to in excess of 120 ship calls per year.”


Northern B.C. port on schedule with terminal expansion
By Steven Macleod
PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. --

The vision to expand the Prince Rupert Port terminal to triple the size in an effort to accommodate growth in Asia Pacific trade seems to be moving along on schedule.

The Prince Rupert Port Authority has begun design engineering for the second phase of expansion of its new Fairview container terminal, which will open next year, reported JOC Online.

The first phase of the project, a joint venture of the port authority, Maher Terminals of New Jersey and Canadian National Railway, will give the northern B.C. port capacity to handle up to 500,000 TEUs a year.

Federal government financial contributions to the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative will provide immediate and long-term benefits for both the Prince Rupert Port and the northern corridor, said Don Krusel, port president and CEO.

“We are pleased to see the commitment of $28 million from the federal government over four years to invest into Border Services at the Prince Rupert Port Authority, including the container examination facility and related services,” noted Krusel.

This commitment eliminates an earlier concern that the facility and Canada Customs services at the new terminal would be charged back to the Prince Rupert Port Authority on a cost recovery basis.

Krusel is also looking to the new infrastructure fund to help support the construction of Phase 2 of the Fairview Container Port, which will increase throughput capacity to two million TEUs by its projected 2010 completion date.

“With one of the deepest North American harbours that is at least a day closer to Asia than any other West Coast port, and almost unlimited capacity to expand, we are confident that Prince Rupert Port holds the key to opening the door to help Canada reclaim its role as a serious competitor and entrepreneurial leader in the world,” explained Krusel.

The Port of Prince Rupert has a long-term strategic plan, aligned with the Pacific Gateway Strategy, to increase container handling capacity to four million TEUs through two terminals by 2020.