The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has completed the final phase of its centralized scheduling system implementation, bringing the Fraser River, Roberts Bank, and the English Bay anchorage area into the system and achieving full port-wide coverage.
This milestone marks a significant step forward for the port authority-led Active Vessel Traffic Management Program and comes at a pivotal time for Canada’s supply chains as the country seeks to diversify markets and strengthen resilience amid shifting global trade dynamics.
With full coverage now in place, the system will support efficient, safe ship movements for more than 3,000 annual port calls across 29 marine terminals, including approximately 800 deep-sea vessel calls in the Fraser River and at Roberts Bank areas where over $200 billion worth of trade flows each year.
Sean Baxter, Harbour Master and Director of Marine Operations at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, stated the adoption of this system allows to streamline vessel movements, strengthen safety, and ensure the Port of Vancouver continues to support Canada’s trade diversification and economic resilience.
Since its initial implementation in Burrard Inlet in late 2023, the system has significantly improved cargo flow through the port.
In 2024 alone, it facilitated a 56% year-over-year increase in deep-sea vessel traffic transiting through Second Narrows, one of the port’s busiest trade corridors.
By improving visibility over ship movements, it has also enabled CN to increase the average weekly train count serving North Shore terminals across the Second Narrows Rail Bridge by 10%, helping reduce freight delays and improve overall throughput.
Brad Butterwick, Vice President, Transportation – Western Region, CN, stated the centralized scheduling system provides CN with critical visibility over vessels transiting or scheduled to transit under the Second Narrows Rail Bridge.
The Fraser River Pilots Committee, whose members navigate deep-sea vessels through the river’s narrow, dynamic channel, stated the system’s recent implementation in this final rollout phase adds an important layer of visibility in one of the port’s most complex operating areas.
With the centralized scheduling system now fully deployed, supply chain partners, operators, and more than 450 registered users have the tools needed to plan, coordinate, and move cargo and people more effectively across Canada’s largest and most diversified port.
