Backgrounder: Port of Vancouver Gateway Strategy

The government is referring the Port of Vancouver Gateway Strategy to the Major Projects Office. Under the Gateway Strategy, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project is being referred to the MPO, and the government is initiating the process toward potential listing of the project under the Building Canada Act.

To meet Canada’s objective to double exports to non-U.S. markets by 2035, the Government of Canada is partnering with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) to advance infrastructure and other measures that will help increase capacity and improve efficiency.

As part of this partnership, the government is referring the Port of Vancouver Gateway Strategy (Gateway Strategy) as a transformative strategy to the Major Projects Office (MPO). Under the Gateway Strategy, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) project is also being referred to the MPO, and the government is initiating the process toward potential listing of the project under the Building Canada Act (the Act).

Port of Vancouver Gateway Strategy

The Gateway Strategy will support an integrated pathway to grow capacity at the Port. It is intended to address existing constraints by bringing people together to collaborate and find connections that will improve the overall efficiency of the Port.

This will include expanding container-handling capacity, identifying and developing land for the construction of modern terminals and other export-focused infrastructure, upgrading rail infrastructure to support the movement of goods, and following Canada’s environmental protections for coastal habitat and at-risk whales.   

The Gateway Strategy is focused on four pillars:

• Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2): RBT2 would expand Canada’s constrained container-handling capacity, unlocking more than $100 billion of new trade capacity annually and contributing over $3 billion to Canada’s GDP per year.
• Land use and infrastructure for bulk terminals: These efforts would enable opportunities to identify and develop land for modern bulk export terminals.
• Rail infrastructure optimization and expansion: These efforts would address rail and infrastructure congestion and ensure sufficient rail capacity to move goods reliably and efficiently.
• Environmental protections: Canada’s robust environmental protections would support future trade growth responsibly. Initiatives to protect the marine environment include the Whales Initiative and enhanced Southern Resident killer Whales (ESRKW) protection measures, the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, and the Oceans Protection Plan.

Pillar One: Roberts Bank Terminal 2

Location: Delta, British-Columbia
Proponent: Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

RBT2 is a proposed new container terminal which would include a three-berth marine container terminal built on 320 acres of new industrial land.

The proposed expansion would increase the Port’s container-handling capacity by 50%, ensuring that shipping costs remain low and Canadian businesses remain competitive.

The expansion would also:

• Enable $100 billion of new trade capacity annually;
• Contribute over $3 billion to Canada’s GDP per year;
• Relieve pressure on downtown terminals in the Burrard Inlet; and
• Support the creation of over 17,000 ongoing jobs across the supply chain during operations.  

RBT2 would help address critical capacity constraints at Canada’s largest port, strengthen Canada’s economic security, and support trade diversification beyond the U.S.

The RBT2 project is being referred to the MPO for potential listing as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act (the Act).

Learn more about the RBT2 project.

Pillar Two: Land use and infrastructure for bulk terminals

Primary Canadian exports, such as grain, potash, canola oil, and petroleum, are exported abroad through specialized bulk handling terminals. The Port hosts 29 major marine terminals, many of which handle Canada’s most important exports, including grain, potash, petroleum products, and canola oil. Dry and liquid bulk account for approximately 70% of total Port of Vancouver tonnage.

A shortage of industrial land at the Port has discouraged investment in new terminals. Instead, operators have kept existing terminals in service longer rather than building new, more modern and efficient facilities. Identifying, preparing, and developing industrial land through land-use optimization and land creation is necessary to get Canadian products to market.

To double non-U.S. trade by 2035, land for the construction of new, modern terminals and other export-focused infrastructure needs to be secured.

On July 20, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) will launch a process to select an operator for its 40-acre Fraser Wharves terminal site in Richmond – the first major terminal opportunity at the Port in a decade. The MPO may support VFPA with this process to ensure the project is efficiently advanced, while respecting Indigenous rights and safeguarding the environment.

Under the Gateway Strategy, the MPO and the VFPA will cooperate to identify similar opportunities for export terminal expansion.

Pillar Three: Rail infrastructure optimization and expansion

The majority of cargo moving through the Port is transported by rail, and the current rail networks and supply chain infrastructure servicing the Port will require investment to diversify Canada’s trade. Without targeted expansions of the Port’s rail and other supply chain infrastructure, Canada’s transportation network risks congestion, which increases shipping costs and reduces the competitiveness of Canadian businesses. 

In collaboration with the railways and other supply chain stakeholders, the MPO and Transport Canada are developing a rail infrastructure strategy to increase capacity and enhance supply chain efficiency, reliability, and resilience. The strategy will explore opportunities for investment in physical infrastructure and the optimization of gateway operations that aim to improve the reliability, stability, and competitiveness of Canada’s supply chain transportation infrastructure through the Port. 

Pillar Four: Environmental protections

As reinforced in the Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement, the federal government will support coastal protection and address key threats to at-risk whales. Three key initiatives support this objective:

• The Whales Initiative and Enhanced Southern Resident killer whales (ESRKW) Protection Measures: As part of the Spring Economic Update 2026: Canada Strong For All, the Government committed more than $258 million over five years to renew and enhance funding for the protection of whales and their habitats. This includes $95 million over the next five years and $16.5 million on an annual basis to protect Southern Resident killer whale (SKRW) and their habitat along B.C.’s coast through ESRKW protection measures. Enhanced protections for SKRW will include additional measures to reduce underwater noise, vessel management measures, monitoring, and long-term habitat protection.
• The Renewal of the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative: On April 7, 2026, the Minister of Fisheries announced $412.9 million over five years to renew the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI). The PSSI will enable continued protection and recovery of wild Pacific salmon stocks of greatest conservation concern. It will also strengthen science and monitoring, enable essential habitat restoration, modernize salmon fisheries, and expand collaboration with partners.
• The Oceans Protections Plan: Through the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada has partnered with Indigenous and coastal communities to develop a world-leading marine safety system that meets the unique needs of Canada from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Since it was launched in 2016, the federal government has invested $3.5 billion in strengthening incident response (including for spills), improving navigation safety, restoring coastal habitat, and developing Indigenous partnerships.

The Building Canada Act

Roberts Bank Terminal 2

The RBT2 project is being referred to the MPO for potential listing as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act (the Act). RBT2’s distinct economic and trade benefits to the country make it a strong candidate for consideration for listing under the Act as a nation-building project.

RBT2 has undergone more than a decade of previous environmental assessment and regulatory review, including consultation with Indigenous groups led by the VFPA. It successfully completed federal impact assessment in 2023 and is in the process of securing all final permits required to begin construction.  The VFPA has Mutual Benefit Agreements in place with 27 First Nations.

Listing RBT2 under the Act would move the project from a lengthy approval phase into a more streamlined delivery phase by coordinating permitting, aligning inter-agency approvals, and providing greater certainty for investment and procurement decisions.

Before any decision on listing is taken, consultations will be undertaken with potentially impacted Indigenous groups. These consultations will begin in the next few weeks, with the aim of making a determination and giving notice in the Canada Gazette.

Should the project be listed under the Act, consultations would then be undertaken to determine the specific set of conditions and mitigation measures that will need to be put in place.

About the Building Canada Act

The purpose of the Act is to enhance Canada’s prosperity, national and economic security, national defence and sovereignty. The Act helps ensure that projects in the national interest can move forward efficiently, supporting economic growth and strengthening Canada’s competitiveness. 

It aims to achieve this by ensuring that projects of national interest are advanced through an efficient, coordinated process that enhances regulatory certainty and investor confidence, while protecting the environment and respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples.

The Act requires Crown consultation before a project can be listed as being in the national interest.

In deciding whether to list a project as one in Canada’s national interest under the Act, the Government can consider a range of factors, including the extent to which the project:

• Strengthens Canada’s autonomy, resilience, and security
• Provides economic or other benefits to Canada
• Has a high likelihood of successful execution
• Advances the interests of Indigenous Peoples
• Contributes to clean growth and meeting Canada’s climate change objectives

Benefits of listing under the Act

If a project is listed, the Act provides immediate, upfront confidence that certain key federal regulatory authorizations and permits will be granted, subject to the identification of appropriate conditions.

It provides:

• A consistent, centralized process that supports Indigenous engagement, consultation and partnership.
• Clearer, coordinated federal regulatory reviews.
• Predictable regulatory pathways and greater timeline certainty which reduce project risk and attract long-term capital.
• Stronger trade and supply chain corridors that improve national competitiveness.
• A more stable project and regulatory environment that attracts long-term capital.

For more information on how the Act works, visit the Building Canada Act website.