Serving Tomorrow's Mega-Size Containerships: The Canadian Solution

Continued growth of global containerisation led to the deployment of larger cellular container vessels. Many industry forecasters suggest the next generation of mega-size container ships will be 12,000 to 16,000+ TEU. These massive ships (about twice the capacity of today's largest container ships) will serve only a limited number of deep water or off-shore transshipment hub ports. There are four Canadian deep-water ports that could be considered for on-shore hub port development: Vancouver and Prince Rupert on the west coast, and Halifax and Canso on the east coast. Developing these major hub ports to serve North America's primary container trade are projects of national and international scope. Achieving this vision requires dedicated national and regional task forces to ensure infrastructure is in place, funding available, and legislative constraints eliminated.