All development activities on land, water and air space administered by Port Metro Vancouver, including all property leased or licensed to other parties, must meet applicable standards and prevent, minimize or mitigate impacts on adjacent tenants, communities, and the environment.
New projects are subject to our Project Review Process, which involves a rigorous evaluation of development and building plans and an environmental review.
A project review applies to land use, construction, and demolition on land and water areas administered by Port Metro Vancouver. New developments should also support land use objectives as described in the Port Metro Vancouver Land Use Plan.
Environmental reviews
Port Metro Vancouver is mandated with decision-making responsibilities under section 67 of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, in 2012 (CEAA 2012). Most projects within our jurisdiction are not subject to a formal environmental assessment as a “designated project” under CEAA 2012. For those projects that are not designated projects, Port Metro Vancouver conducts its own environmental review. Before a project is authorized to proceed, we must be satisfied that the project will not result in significant adverse environmental effects.
Planning
Port Metro Vancouver conducts a variety of strategic studies and planning activities. In addition, the Canada Marine Act requires every Canadian port authority to adopt a comprehensive land use plan which includes its objectives and policies around development decisions. More about Port Metro Vancouver’s land use planning process.
Port Metro Vancouver Consolidated Land Use Plan
Port 2050
After consultation with a wide variety of stakeholders, Port Metro Vancouver has also developed four long-range scenarios for the port, the result is a program called Port 2050. By monitoring key metrics, trends and patterns, we are able to determine whether the scenarios are still valid and which one we are headed towards. The results inform our annual business planning cycle by helping us identify priorities on which to focus in the coming years.