Saint John completes modernization project

The Port of Saint John has finished it West Side Terminal Modernization project.

Started in 2016, the project has increased laydown capacity of over 160 percent or 325,000 TEU at the terminal. Other improvements include a 345-metre berth, the addition of new refrigerated towers, dredging the main channel to be deeper and wider and an expanded intermodal yard.

“Port Saint John is proud to announce the completion of the Modernization project that has positioned us to be a critical part of Canada’s supply chain,” said Craig Bell Estabrooks CEO of Port Saint John. “In 2022 our terminal throughput nearly doubled to 151,000 TEU and in 2023 we were one of the only ports in North America to see container volumes grow as global trade was down. Our government partners have continually supported our vision for growth and now we are seeing that vision come to reality.”

Funded equally by the federal government, province of New Brunswick, and the port, this construction project was completed on time, on budget, and with increased scope despite challenges arising during the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain disruptions.

The project attracted private sector partners and private investments to the tune of $560 million for rail and terminal upgrades since the signing of the project’s funding agreement in 2016.

Port Saint John is the only port in eastern Canada that connects to three class one rail lines via its short line rail partners at NB Southern Rail. In 2016 the port signed a long term agreement with DP World, who investments have included two new post-panamax cranes installed in 2023.

“Port Saint John is vital to the economy of the city and by extension to the whole of Atlantic Canada,” said Wayne Long, member of parliament for Saint John–Rothesay. “This remarkable modernization of the facility has already generated substantial investments from the private sector, has created good employment and has allowed the Port to nearly double the volume of cargo it handles. This major upgrade of the Port will help the economy locally, provincially and nationally by connecting communities to global trade opportunities.”