GCT's Proposed Deltaport Berth 4 Project

Please accept this submission in response to the public consultation now ongoing for Global Container Terminal's proposed Deltaport Berth 4 project.

The west coast of Canada is rapidly nearing full capacity at all container terminals. I hear regularly from members of the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council (I am the Managing Director of the Council) that there is already not enough capacity to maintain the efficiency and fluidity of the intermodal supply chain through the Port of Vancouver and throughout Canada. In particular, the Port of Vancouver, Canada's largest port, and the port of choice over all others in Canada, is urgently in need of new container terminal capacity to ensure efficient intermodal goods movement that is critical to Canada's long-term economic prosperity. Without that capacity, shippers will begin to move cargo to U.S. west coast ports at an increased cost and at the expense of Canadian jobs.

Based on the above, I support any container terminal project that meets all environmental and other requirements. Given the time required to review and consult on projects suchas GCT's proposed Deltaport Berth 4 project, my only concern is that the project may not be able to be assessed and built in time to meet the growing demand.

I encourage the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to give serious consideration to this and all other projects that will create new container terminal capacity in Vancouver.

Thank you.

Michael Henderson