Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Multi Level Regulatory Engagement

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) oversees the Port of Vancouver, which is Canada’s largest port. The port is made up of over 1,500 hectares of land and 16,000 hectares of water.

As outlined in the Canada Marine Act, Canada Port Authorities are responsible for ensuring that activities conducted on the lands and waters within their jurisdiction are done so in a safe, orderly, and environmentally responsible manner. Transport Canada provides graduated enforcement tools, such as the ability to issue Federal Contravention Tickets and Administrative Monetary Penalties, to Canada Port Authorities to support enforcement of the Canada Marine Act and Port Authorities Operations Regulations.

VFPA works collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders, including coast guards, municipal and regulatory agencies as well as federal agencies. VFPA implements compliance and enforcement programs at the Port of Vancouver to ensure compliance with safety, order, environmental and other conditions that are established within the authorizations that they issue, such as leases, licenses, permits, contracts, and port practices and procedures. These programs include site visits, reviews and audits by Canada Marine Act Enforcement Officers to verify compliance.

The port authority conducts project and environmental reviews on federal lands and waters to assess potential effects from proposed development before determining whether projects should proceed.

The PER framework includes reviews in categories A to D. Designated projects requiring federal impact assessment by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada follow a distinct assessment route and may also require a port PER permit (Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, 2023). If a project is approved, permit conditions are set to avoid or mitigate significant impacts on the environment and community.

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority engages extensively with Indigenous peoples through a dedicated consultation framework separate from public engagement processes. The port authority recognizes that Indigenous consultation must align with federal government guidelines and VFPA principles, aiming to identify project related impacts on asserted or established Aboriginal or treaty rights. Community liaison committees provide standing forums: the North Shore Waterfront Liaison Committee brings together port industry, municipalities, Indigenous representatives and residents of North Vancouver and West Vancouver, and the South Shore Community Liaison Committee includes port industry, rail, the City of Vancouver, Indigenous representatives and residents from the south shore of Burrard Inlet.

Through its ECHO Program, which coordinates voluntary measures to reduce the impacts of commercial shipping on at-risk whales, the port authority collaborates with partners including Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada, and environmental groups.