Did You Know?
You buy consumer goods that come to Canada on ships. Aren’t you being hypocritical?
FAQContainer ships that carry consumer goods rarely anchor outside the port but the vast majority of ships anchoring in the Southern Gulf Islands are grain or coal ships waiting to load at terminals in the Port of Vancouver....
Can’t ships anchor where ever they want under international law?
FAQThe common law right to navigation does include the incidental right to anchor. But legal interpretations recognize that it includes qualifiers like “for a reasonable length of time” and “for reasonable purposes”....
Residents in Vancouver put up with ships anchoring all the time. Why are the Gulf Islands any different?
FAQThe anchorages in English Bay and Burrard Inlet are designated for commercial and industrial use. On the other hand, the Southern Gulf Islands (SGI) are a recognized eco-tourism destination....
If not the Southern Gulf Islands, where should they go?
FAQGlobally there’s an oversupply of ships....
The Port of Vancouver is busy and complex. Won’t they always need lots of anchorages?
FAQThe Port of Vancouver should manage its operation within its own waterways. It has no authority over the Southern Gulf Islands, yet relies on our delicate waterways to complete its operations....
How can this problem be fixed?
FAQHow can this problem be fixed? There is lots that can and should be done......
How long do these ships stay at anchor outside of the Port?
FAQA significant number of bulk cargo ships (grain and coal) regularly stay at anchor for anywhere from 10 days to 2 or more months....
If they’re so bad, wouldn’t our government put a stop to this?
FAQThe 33 anchorage sites were designated in the 1970s with little, if any, environmental impact assessments or consultation with First Nations or other coastal residents....
More ships at anchor means more money into the Canadian economy, right?
FAQShips anchoring for free outside of the Port of Vancouver doesn’t mean more goods are being traded. It means problems in the supply chain. Ships make money for Canada when they’re moving goods not when they’re sitting idle for weeks...
What’s so bad about ships anchoring in the Southern Gulf Islands?
FAQShips up to 300 metres long anchor in quiet, rural, residential neighbourhoods. Their large diesel generators run 24/7, polluting the local air shed and causing noise pollution day and night....
