I’m from Eureka, California. Goldman Sachs is interested in developing a container port here. I would love to hear how your new port is benefiting (or not) your local community. Things like the number of jobs created and how that has boosted your economy.
Thanks!
Welcome to HTMF, Bit:-) Our Container Port has resulted in some economic benefits. For example, our real estate has appreciated.
There are several threads about the container port in this forum.
Yes I agree with you 
That housing Project in the “Dip of the Road” of Eleventh (11th Ave. East?), is an example of the Appreciation?
Yessir I did 
Point well taken. However, it can be argued that generally speaking real estate has appreciated in Prince Rupert following the opening of the container port.
How much of a benefit comes to the local community depends entirely upon what sort of container activity is happening. Our container port is strictly unload vessels, load trains and away they go.
Stuffing and unstuffing of containers creates more economic activity but that is mostly happening 8 hours away from Prince Rupert.
Nearly 100% of these containers go on trains - so truck drivers are not needed (with the price of fuel, this is not necessarily a bad thing)
Because our port is on federal land, there is some sort of fee in lieu of taxes that they are suppose to pay (based loosely on the tax assessment…I think). I don’t know if that is the same in the USA.
I heard a couple of port logistics experts from the USA speaking about container ports in both Washington and California. There are some really interesting ways that local and regional governments have found to ensure container ports benefit (or at least don’t cause harm) locally. One spoke of the local government instituting a “truck gate” fee - $35 per truck passing through the gates. That money ended up going back into local infrastructure (mostly roads). This was to off set the wear and tear on the roads from these trucks. But with head offices of shipping companies being other-where, there is no way to apply local taxes.
If I could find my notes, I could ramble more…but lucky for you they are cleverly disguised as a huge pile of papers in my closet…which I am mostly afraid of.
Heh-heh, I prefer using that filing system as well.
Note. I only mentioned that the housing market appreciated as a result of the container port opening.
I think you guys are actually agreeing with each other.
The 11th Ave East development is a new development, not a “dip” in prices. You heard how much they’re charging for a house there?
It is absurd what they are asking for those places. Kudos to them if they can get those prices…but c’mon…houses in Rupert with no ocean view and no mountain view going for half a mill???
Thanks for the info!
The Port of Humboldt Bay will be import only. Containers from Asia. There will be no trucking as the highway access here is dismal. Everything will go out by rail. The idea might be pie in the sky but since Goldman Sachs got involved the hopes are high. Currently the channel is only 42 feet and the turning basin too small. But the Port is willing to give up operation to an investor if they can help build the infrastructure.
That’s almost the kind of set up here, though we do have a bit of exporting happening.
The port here went out and signed an agreement with Maher Terminals of New Jersey to operate the actual unloading and loading of the vessels.
For the most part all the cargo is loaded onto trains at the port and sent flying down the line through Prince George, Edmonton Winnipeg and on into Chicago and Memphis.
The only actual trucking is the containers that are to be inspected further by the Border Services folks out at Watson Island about a twenty minute truck trip from the terminal to that location.,
If the timeline is the same as ours…
There will be a short burst of activity as you build the thing, then a lull in actual employment in the short term with the exception of some longshore jobs and customs, we’re waiting for the expansion phase which we’ve been told will be more of a job creator…
We’ll let you know if we all get to share in the gold…
How many longshoreman and customs jobs are there now?
I think I mis-read his post. I think he may indeed have meant the “dip” in the road on 11th Ave. East not a dip in prices…sigh. 
Geography may be against you a bit.
Prince Rupert has the advantage of being physically closer to Asia than the rest of the west coast, including the west coast of the USA. (other than Alaska, I guess)
Ships can leave Shanghai and be in Prince Rupert two or three days quicker than in the US.
Also, Prince Rupert has a naturally deep harbour, which can accommodate ships of any size.
The longshore jobs mostly are just the fellows that were already on the list a few more got hired on but not many see much in the way of hours at the moment, the ship comes in on Wednesday and there’s that day of work, maybe Thursday and a bit for Friday all in declining numbers by seniority…
Customs hired on about 50 give or take I think the number was in the end, some are from here others relocated from other parts of Canada.
I think the thing to keep in mind is that our container port basical replaced an older break bulk port. So there are only a couple of more jobs per shift than before, phase two not with standing. As for the geography angle it may start to work against us with the price of fuel. A small container ship can carry 1500 cans and I think the most a train can carry is 250. It becomes alot more cost effective to keep them on the boat for as much of the distance as possible.