Ports

By Staff The Canadian Press Posted May 20, 2025 8:03 pm 1 min read 2:00 B.C. government supports dredging Burrard Inlet to increase TMX tanker capacity RELATED: In the year since its expansion, the Trans Mountain Pipeline has been moving double the amount of oil. The B.C. government was initially opposed to the project, but as Aaron McArthur reports, it’s now supporting a proposal allowing tankers to carry more oil through B.C. waters – May 8, 2025 The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says preliminary work on a plan to dredge Burrard Inlet to accommodate fully loaded oil tankers is now underway. It says the project, which was recently floated by Prime Minister Mark Carney, will proceed through permitting processes including consultation with First Nations. A statement issued on Tuesday says the preliminary work that has commenced includes the consultation and field studies. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. The project – which has been criticized by some environmentalists, experts and First Nations – would allow a common class of tankers to pass fully loaded under Vancouver’s Second Narrows Bridge after filling up at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby. The statement says there’s a “pressing need” to optimize the port in the face of an uncertain and fast-changing global landscape. Trending Now It says the project will improve shipping efficiency in the inlet. Story continues below advertisement Trans Mountain says on its website that Aframax-class tankers generally load to about 80 per cent of capacity to provide clearance in Port Metro Vancouver. British Columbia’s government has said it supports the project, so long as it meets environmental and consultation requirements. &copy 2025 The Canadian Press Sponsored content