Dear Member,
Further to CL 11343, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority issued another update earlier today on the status of port operations and the state of the transportation system following the widespread flooding that occured through the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley regions earlier this week. Key elements of the update include the following:
- Although the Vancouver gateway continues to experience significantly disrupted rail and truck movement, marine terminals at the port are still operating.
- Damage assessments to rail and truck infrastructure are being carried out by Transport Canada and emergency services, but are being hindered by logistical and safety concerns due to evacuation orders issued in many communities.
- CN and CP’s main rail corridors are still not operational between Vancouver and Kamloops. Although some progress has been made in clearing debris and conducting repairs, a timeline for when rail operations will be fully restored is not yet available.
- The Port continues to expect vessel delays and increased anchorage demand due to disrupted terminal operations.
- All main highway routes to the Metro Vancouver area continue to be closed. Damage assessments on highway infrastructure are ongoing, and resumption of traffic is expected to take another two to three days.
We have also received a message from CBSA advising that the Agency is closely monitoring the situation in B.C., and is working to clarify and possibly amend reporting requirements to accommodate domestic traffic moving in-transit through the United States (US) to reach its final destination. CBSA is expected to issue a communique on this issue as more information becomes available.
We will continue to monitor this situation over the coming days and will provide members with additional updates as available.
Sincerely,
Karen Kancens
Vice President