Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said the office will examine a group of projects to improve Canada’s most important maritime trade gateway. Those include the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 container terminal; a new oil export terminal at the end of the proposed new pipeline from Alberta; a broader expansion of bulk terminals; improving rail services; and protections for sea life amid all that new construction. (The Logic)

Talking point: The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has been trying to squeeze more throughput out of limited terminal space and transportation infrastructure for years, especially around Burrard Inlet. Now the federal government wants to double exports to countries other than the United States by 2035, which would sharply increase pressure on the port’s facilities. The government has sent 18 projects and eight broader strategies to the MPO for examination. Three have reached the stage of being considered for listing as national priorities; none has been designated yet.