Environment

PMV has been supporting the Pacific Salmon Foundation since 2007, with a focus on Pacific salmon conservation and education. Through this five-year partnership, worth $250,000, we are supporting the Fraser Salmon and Watersheds Program, the Think Salmon Program and most recently the foundation’s Fraser River Legacy project.

The Fraser River Legacy project is a multi-year feasibility study to develop a Lower Fraser live fish capture tagging facility. In-river fish wheels at Mission capture live fish for tagging and biological sampling, providing valuable information on stock composition, abundance and health. The project will address several recurring issues for the Fraser salmon, including recent poor Sockeye salmon returns, changes in late-run Sockeye behavior since 1995, and impact of climate change on the Fraser salmon.

Another exciting project linked to PMV’s sponsorship was the supply of 250 Think Salmon water testing kits to communities free of charge. The kits contain enough supplies to equip a class of 30 students for an entire field season and taught them about BC's valuable freshwater resources and impacts on water.

We have been supporting the Burns Bog Conservation Society for at least the last five years, supporting their efforts in protecting and conserving the "lungs of the Lower Mainland" and the unique ecological features that it supports. This year’s support will go towards education outreach to Lower Mainland school children.

The Port established a $25,000 endowment fund for the benefit of Terra Nova Rural Park for the ongoing stewardship of this unique 24-hectare park in West Richmond, adjacent to the North Arm of the Fraser River.

Port Metro Vancouver launched the Local Channel Dredging Contribution Program in November 2009, as part of the implementation of the 2008 Dredging Policy, the Port’s long-term dredging strategy for the Fraser River. We are the first port authority in Canada to provide funding contributions for local communities with waterways falling outside of the main domestic and international shipping channels.

The Port’s Dredging Policy addresses the maintenance dredging of deep sea and domestic shipping channels in the Fraser River that support international and domestic trade, and the management of dredge materials. A key component of the policy is the 10-year Local Channel Program that provides financial support for riverfront communities to undertake their own dredging activities beyond deep sea and domestic shipping channels.

The Local Channel Program provides up to $7 million over 10 years for long-term, community-based dredging plans. River User Associations within eligible communities may apply for funding contributions up to a maximum of $500,000 per Local Channel over a 10-year period.

For more information and application instructions, please click here.

We have partnered with the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma to address port-related contributions to air quality and climate change in the Georgia Basin Puget Sound air shed through the Northwest Port's Clean Air Strategy. We also collaborate with national and international stakeholders to ensure the programs in place have a lasting effect. Read the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy.

Starting in 2008, we introduced increasingly stringent environmental requirements into the Container Truck Licensing Program (TLS). Requirements focus on the phasing out of older trucks, mandatory opacity and idling limits and an awareness program. Consistent with the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, the requirements will bring the fleet up to the equivalent of a 2007 truck for particulate matter emissions.

Port Metro Vancouver became the first port in Canada to implement shore power for cruise ships, beginning with the 2009 cruise season at Canada Place. Shore power is a highly effective way to reduce marine diesel air emissions by enabling ships to shut down their engines and connect to BC Hydro’s electrical grid in order to provide necessary power while docked.

The shore power installation at the homeport of the Vancouver-Alaska cruise – one of the world’s most popular cruises – represents a $9 million cooperative initiative among Transport Canada, Western Economic Diversification Canada, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, BC Hydro, Port Metro Vancouver, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. Click here for more information.

Our EcoAction Program (formerly the Differentiated Harbour Dues Program) promotes attainable emissions reduction goals for ocean-going vessels that enter our Port, and rewards those who excel in environmental stewardship. Vessels may qualify for one of three levels of harbor due rates based on implementing one of the emission reduction options within a given category. The reduced rates, Bronze, Silver and Gold are designed to provide a wide variety of technology and fuel options to vessels in order to promote and build awareness around a number of alternative emission reduction practices. For more information on EcoAction and vessel emissions, click here.