What does the Port of Vancouver know that it is not telling us? Former British Columbia Premier and former Mayor of Vancouver Mike Harcourt has written in the Vancouver Sun that Port executives and the board of directors “are pushing a little-known master plan that would displace Vancouver waterfront, Canadian-owned agricultural processors and grain shippers in favour of a massive container terminal.”
A new massive container terminal is also on the Port of Vancouver’s books for Roberts Bank near Tsawwassen. Everyone used to a clear and transparent process has assumed that the outcome of the huge new Deltaport Terminal was wending its way through the Federal review process. Most people also assumed that there would be some severe pushback with the huge environmental impacts this new terminal would create.
The Tsawwassen First Nation has expressed worry about this shipping expansion as fish stocks decline.The existing terminal at Roberts Bank protrudes through an eelgrass seabed that is used by migrating juvenile salmon. I have already written about the proposed port terminal’s impact which would make extinct the flight path of the Alaska bound migratory western sandpiper, that feeds exclusively on the biofilm available only at the proposed site of this new terminal.
To give you an idea of the size of this project, Stephanie Wood in the Narwhal notes that the new terminal “will double the size of Deltaport, creating an artificial island about the size of 150 football fields. The Fraser estuary has already lost 70 per cent of its salmon habitat, and the proposed project would deplete an additional 177 hectares'”.
But surprise!
The Port of Vancouver is already hiring an engineer to manage the infrastructure delivery of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Procurement Process, and that has been published on the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia job page.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (Port Vancouver) are looking for a Manager (to report to the Director) to “deliver infrastructure projects related to terminal construction, land reclamation, and/or terminal and road/rail access. This billion dollar plus project is a design-build in the planning stage and will involve support for contract formation before transitioning to heavily technical construction management.”
You can take a look at the complete job description which includes items like building a “high performing team”, “building and maintaining relationships with Indigenous groups, partners, and other government agencies, tenants, stakeholders, and the community; including the negotiation of agreements while maintaining the port’s reputation in all matters.”
This position will be staffing up positions and working with ” Legal, Infrastructure Real Estate, and Planning Departments to ensure that land tenure and project permitting requirements are clearly understood and advanced as required.”
And perhaps my favourite metric: “Representing Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in negotiations, at conferences and conventions, and in the media as required, ensuring clear communication of the business strategy and key messages, and the presentation of a positive and professional image of the business.”
But there’s more: on December 7, 2020 Delta Council heard a delegation from Global Container Terminals (GCT), which is the group that runs the existing container terminal of 85 hectares (210 acres) at Deltaport. While claiming not to be unhappy with the proposal for Deltaport’s Terminal 2, they have developed another option, building an expansion off their existing terminal in Deltaport. As they stated to Delta Council, their proposed option for expansion is in their words “the most economical way to grow the port and provide competitive offerings.”
The GCT called their proposal a “different” way to proceed, and surprisingly admitted that there is enough capacity in this shipping gateway “until the early 2030’s”.
It should be noted that this international port does not run on the 24 hour clock like most ports along this seaboard, which in itself could provide more efficiency in using the terminal.
What is the truth?
Why would the Port Authority be hiring a procurement manager for Deltaport Terminal 2 if it is not a done deal?
images:SkyscrapercityCBC.ca
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Job Posting
MANAGER, INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY – ROBERTS BANK TERMINAL 2 INFRASTRUCTURE PROCUREMENT
Company: Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Website: http://www.portvancouver.com
The Port of Vancouver has an immediate opportunity available for a seasoned manager with exceptional leadership and organizational skills and experience with and a passion for complex heavy civil projects. Reporting to the Director, Infrastructure Procurement, the Manager, Infrastructure Delivery will lead the Owner’s team composed of VFPA and specialized consultants and work cross functionally with supporting departments and development partner agencies to deliver infrastructure projects related to terminal construction, land reclamation, and/or terminal and road/rail access. This billion dollar plus project is a design-build in the planning stage and will involve support for contract formation before transitioning to heavily technical construction management.
The Manager, Infrastructure Delivery will be responsible for:
PROGRAM/PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Identification, assignment, and timely completion of all project activities to the level of quality required to deliver on the documented project objectives.
Building and maintaining relationships with Indigenous groups, partners, and other government agencies, tenants, stakeholders, and the community; including the negotiation of agreements while maintaining the port’s reputation in all matters.
Building and leading a high performing project team of internal and external resources, including coordination and collaboration with other Departments and Divisions within the port, to ensure clarity of roles, expectations, and delivery of services required for successful project completion in a matrix environment.
Establishing and managing scope, schedule, cost, quality, and performance metrics in accordance with Departmental and Divisional polices and directives.
Working closely with the Legal, Infrastructure Real Estate, and Planning Departments to ensure that land tenure and project permitting requirements are clearly understood and advanced as required.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Participating in the development of departmental plans and be responsible for the development and implementation of activities and programs designed to meet the intention of specific strategic priorities.
Participating as a member of various management and inter-departmental teams in the planning, implementation, and management of business initiatives.
Planning, implementing, and reviewing departmental staffing requirements for areas of responsibility, including the determination of clear position descriptions, accountabilities, and reporting arrangements to optimize service delivery to all stakeholders.
Representing VFPA in negotiations, at conferences and conventions, and in the media as required, ensuring clear communication of the business strategy and key messages, and the presentation of a positive and professional image of the business
Liaising with Human Resources to ensure the effective selection, training and performance management of staff
Participating in the planning and the review of departmental operating costs, particularly with regard to staffing requirements, overheads, consultancy services, planned business programs and service provision
The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or another acceptable degree with significant direct experience in managing the full life-cycle of complex, multi-stakeholder capital infrastructure projects preferably including experience using design-build or similar procurement method. Preferably experienced in managing projects and programs involving heavy construction, environmental concerns, First Nations, supply chain, port operations, and extensive public consultation. Professional engineer designation and PMP are considered assets.
The incumbent must obtain and maintain a valid Marine Transportation Security Clearance when specific projects require this position to access restricted areas/information as defined by the Marine Transportation Security Regulations.
Your exceptional leadership qualities and management and communication skills enable you to effectively interface with all levels of business, government, and the public. You are an effective decision-maker, strategic planner, and initiator, who fosters the development of emerging leaders.
Normal office conditions with regular evening, weekend and off-site work. Flexibility to respond to issues during non-working hours as required.
Click here to submit your application.
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is dedicated to employment equity and a workplace reflective of the diversity of our community.
Even more problematic is the now baked-in hypocrisy of the Trudeau government to continue to allow thermal coal from Wyoming and elsewhere to be shipped to Asia via Roberts Bank. Thermal coal is the top historical culprit that resulted in our planetary-scale climate crisis by means of combustion. About 40% of the existing area of the RB port is devoted to coal, and its presence requires a permit from the federal government through Port Metro Vancouver.
Trudeau et al stood before the cameras just two days ago to announce a major increase in the carbon tax. Yet massive trains carrying thermal coal continue to roll through Delta to RB, and the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project is still on the public accounts books, all $13 billion of it.
A compromise may be in order. Give a maximum two-year notice (preferably less) to the coal companies and railways that their permits will not be renewed beyond a certain date. Clean up the black guck from the RB site (financed in part through a per-tonne surcharge to the coal companies during the notice period) and convert it to an expansion of the existing container facility within the existing fill area footprint. Enact better marine fuel standards and supply clean shore power to the idle ships, like the Port does to cruise ships at Canada Place.
Ideally, the RB port would be removed and the site rehabilitated to its former natural state. But no one can say with any assurance whatsoever that that is realistic. Ergo a compromise.
Meanwhile, the flaws in the economics behind TMX crack open with increasing bitumen demand destruction as electric cars and international efforts to fight climate change and decarbonize several economies ramp up, and as massive financial investments shift from oil to renewables.
The difference with freighters and shore power versus cruise ships and shore power is that the freighters can wait for weeks or even a month in English Bay to dock and load/unload.
Those parking spaces are in such high demand with so much overflow that 33 additional parking spaces have been designated in the Southern Gulf Islands.
https://georgiastrait.org/2019/09/whats-going-on-with-freighter-anchorages-in-the-southern-gulf-islands/
That shows how busy the Port of Vancouver is and how the terminals can’t meet the demand.
Good to know.