Ship Backlog Builds at Port of Vancouver After Floods

Congestion has been building at the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, after recent floods knocked out rail and major highway access to area.

Current numbers provided by the port showed 56 ships at anchor as of Wednesday, including 20 grain, 13 coal, and 8 container ships. “Demand for anchorages currently exceeds capacity,” the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said in its latest operations update.

As of November 30th, Port of Vancouver anchorage occupation was listed 81% for Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (incl. English Bay, inner habour and Indian Arm) and 75% for Southern Gulf Islands.

The backlog of ships can seen on AIS from MarineTraffif.com:

A provincial state of emergency declared by the British Columbia Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General on November 17th has been extended to December 14, 2021. The state of emergency applies to the entirety of British Columbia. Heavy rainfall across southwestern B.C. was expected to continue through Wednesday before improving Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, Canadian Pacific (CP) and Canadian National Railway (CN) eastbound and westbound trains continue to transit on CP’s mainline between Vancouver and Kamloops, about halfway to Calgary. “Enhanced rail infrastructure inspections and maintenance are ongoing. CN engineering teams continue to undertake repairs at a site impacted by heavy precipitation. A timeline for restored rail operations through the site is currently unavailable,” the latest update said.

Container terminal truck activity is steady as highway routes to and from the port are restored. Detours, intermittent closures and essential traffic-only restrictions remain in place, as does reconstruction and repair work on major roadways across the region.

To help alleviate container storage capacity constraints and supply chain disruptions, the Government of Canada and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority are undertaking an initiative to provide additional container storage capacity through the preparation of an undeveloped 40-acre parcel of land within the Fraser Richmond Industrial Lands for the handling and storage of empty containers.

“The impacts of the recent extreme weather events have been devastating to British Columbians, including many First Nations communities, as well as to critical infrastructure, supply chains and the agricultural sector,” says The Honourable Bill Blair, Canada’s Minister of Emergency Preparedness. “That is why the Government of Canada will continue to provide support to the Province of British Columbia as they work to repair and recover from this tragedy. I would also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the important and collaborative work that has gone on between federal and provincial partners, as well as the many first responders, search and rescue volunteers and emergency managers. Thank you all for your ongoing and tireless efforts.”

Despite problems in the supply chain, all four of Port of Vancouvers container terminals are open and operating normally.

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