Columbia National Investments (CNI) announced this week its plans to build an international ocean port at McNabb Valley.
The site of the proposed port is approximately five km up Howe Sound from Port Mellon and historically has been used mainly for industrial purposes, according to a news release from CNI. The property is 803 acres with 1.5 km of deep-water front (750 feet deep). "This port facility is much needed," said CNI CEO Steve Dunton. "It is common knowledge that B.C. ports do not have the capacity necessary to keep up with international demand. It has been widely forecast in the media by industry experts such as Capt. Gord Houston, president and CEO of the Vancouver Port Authority, that Vancouver could soon be in a crisis because traffic is expected to increase 300 per cent, mostly as a result of more demand from China. Building a port facility at McNabb Valley is a very positive step in increasing B.C.'s market share in Asia-Pacific trade.
"Our proposal is to build a world-class port facility that will not only help to meet the growing international demand, but will also provide an excellent, high quality job base for both the Sunshine Coast and the Squamish area."
Dunton said CNI is committed to working with both federal and provincial governments as well as with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) with the objective of turning this proposal into a reality. Plans include building the infrastructure necessary to connect this facility with existing rail lines and roadways. CNI is currently in discussion with several potential partners on this project, including several international and local port operators. "At CNI our goal is to acquire land and then figure out what types of projects they are best suited for," said Dunton. "The McNabb Valley has no real plan, but the area is ideally suited for an ocean port. I'll be honest with you, when I was approached with the idea of an ocean port I thought it was a crazy. But after I thought about it some more, I really started to think that it could be a possibility. The key is the deep water and the ability to provide a world-class port facility that helps meet the growing demands for this province. There is tremendous pressure on the Fraser River. Currently, we don't have enough viable gateways to ship our goods in and out of this province. This proposed port would help meet demands for new gateways and alleviate concerns in the Fraser Valley."
Also this week, CNI formally announced its plans for a proposed new community near Sechelt.
Dunton made a preliminary announcement about these plans at a meeting with the SCRD on Sept. 14.
CNI is proposing to build an environmentally-sensitive community on 2,174 acres owned by CNI just east of Sechelt.CNI is also proposing that a bypass road that runs parallel to Highway 101 be built in conjunction with this development.It's CNI's hope that the new road would serve to relieve the traffic congestion and safety issues on the existing road. CNI also believes that the time has come to consider a new road link connecting Highway 99 to the Sunshine Coast, now that the Sea to Sky Highway (99) is being built to adequate standards. CNI is also proposing to implement improvements to the domestic water system on the Sunshine Coast as part of this development.
The Highway 99 link option was also briefly discussed at the Sept. 14 SCRD meeting and was met by skepticism by directors.Dunton said in the coming months he hopes CNI will change that perception.
"For this development to move forward you have to get a sustainable plan in front of the public," said Dunton. "A failure to plan gets you what you have now, which is a piecemeal development. Let us plan for the water. Let us plan for the parks and green space and then tell us that we're wrong. There are projects being built right now that have no services and no thought and are just piggy-backing onto what's existing on the Sunshine Coast. That type of planning is not sustainable.
"We are looking forward to building a vibrant, accessible, self-sustaining community that fits within the natural beauty of the area -a place that offers residents magnificent views and access to many leisure activities."
Dunton said these two proposed projects and the others previously announced will not happen overnight.
"We're looking at large properties and large scale projects that will take time to develop," he said. "I see the better part of a year for planning. We certainly don't intend to isolate the community from these projects. We want input. There is a great chance for the whole community to get involved with this and make these projects a wonderful complement to what already exists on the Sunshine Coast."
