Detail script for 16 / WORKING WITH PORT METRO VAN
DeltaPort Intermodal yard expansion project Sept 2018
Photo credit GCT Deltaport
Moving to work collaboratively with PM Vanc.
Photo credit to worldipreview.com
On May 12, 2016, a copy of the excellent report prepared by then City of WR Mayor Wayne Baldwin [Ref #5], was sent by the City of WR to Robin Sylvester, President and CEO of the Port of Vancouver. This report was entitled ‘Transportation of Dangerous Goods by Rail – Rail Relocation’; feedback from Port Metro to other stakeholders is unknown.
On February 10, 2017, we as RR advocates personally delivered a letter to Port Metro outlining efforts for RR to date, and attaching a January 2016 report done by Mary Jane Bennett on behalf of the City of Surrey [Ref #3]; invitations to visit and discuss were proposed.
Our first step in 2019 was to meet in November 2019 with the capital management folks at Port Metro Vancouver, with the intention of seeking their full engagement with our RR initiative, and to seek future communication with all stakeholders; we had planned to meet again in February 2020, but Covid-19 intervened; we will meet again in the Fall of 2020 after meeting with the ‘expanded mayors group’.
A productive ‘zoom’ meeting was held February 24, 2021, with Port Metro … this initiative to engage with Port Metro was initiated by Gordie Hogg former Mayor, MLA, MP and as continuing advocates for the BNSF Rail Safety and Relocation, we salute his initiative … we are pleased to report that Port Metro will engage with us in future discussions and will assist as possible with trade, transport, and economic data where possible, and will assist in supporting funding applications as and when those might occur … no commitments on direct funding to our main initiative, either now, or later, were discussed.
While SAFETY has been the prime criteria for initiating action by advocates and politicians, it is now evident that there are clear ECONOMIC BENEFITS for Port Metro and all stakeholders on the Lower Mainland; the benefits and the opportunities of this BNSF Rail Relocation have been previously outlined in prior cards #7 and #8.