As Port facilities expand, it appears that Logistics is becoming the next big thing for the North Coast

A growing Port is creating
many opportunities for
additional and secondary 
industry on the North Coast
(map from PRPA impact report)

The growing footprint for the expanding number of facilities for the Port of Prince Rupert is providing for a range of spin off industries to start to appear on the North Coast.

From lumber and specialty grain shipment terminals, to the new and expanded Warehouse site that the Port itself has just put up overlooking the road to Fairview Bay, projects are popping up with growing frequency, with many more still in the development phase..

As we've reviewed through the week the City of Prince Rupert has also joined in the new gold rush to get a share of the global shipping market for the North Coast.

An ambition that was launched with the announcement this week of the re-branding of the Watson Island site as the Watson Intermodal Trade and Logistics Park

The North Coast Review made inquiries of the Port of Prince Rupert when it comes to the newest arrival for the local logistics scene in the region, with Shaun Stevenson, the Vice President of Trade and Development and Public Affairs offering the following overview of the news of the week, noting how the City's development plans hold the potential to be complimentary towards port related services.

“The Port’s development plans have defined port land and infrastructure projects that will enable the realization of future terminal and logistics service developments, and grow the regional economic benefit that comes with them, while ensuring those projects maintain our long term commitment to being a safe, reliable, and sustainable gateway. 

Watson Intermodal Trade and Logistics Park has the potential to be complimentary to meeting the market need for land suitable for port-related services as we continue to grow the Port of Prince Rupert. PRPA is looking forward to working with the City of Prince Rupert toward the success of their project. ”

As we've noted in the past, the theme of a development of a logistics park has been discussed by a number of regional stakeholders in the past, with a site identified just off the Ridley Access road earmarked as a potential location for a massive logistics centre to service the ever expanding list of arriving and departing vessels at the Fairview Container Terminal.

In recent years a number of studies have taken place towards the
development of a logistics park along the Ridley Island Access Road
(map from previous notes from the Port of Prince Rupert)

To provide for a look at some of the other plans that may still be in the process of forward movement, see some of our past items from the blog from recent years:

June 2017 -- Port Authority Meeting offers global vision, along with strong community focus
May 2016 -- Metlakatla Development Corporation set to evaluate potential of intermodal rail/truck yard
January 2016 -- Port Authority study heralds jobs and benefits to region should expansion plans move forward
August 2015 -- Port of Prince Rupert to investigate construction of Intermodal Rail/Truck yard on South Kaien Island

Much of the planning  related to any logistics park development is tied into the progress for the Port's and DP World's future plans for the expansion Fairivew Terminal.

You can keep up to speed on the latest from Fairview from our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review