The indigenous Nisg̱a’a and Tahltan Nations, together with Arrow Transportation Systems, have opened the Portland Canal Marine Terminal in Stewart, British Columbia.
The deep-sea terminal provides an export route for minerals produced in the Golden Triangle region to international markets. The facility covers six acres (2.4 hectares) of foreshore and can handle approximately 300,000 tonnes of copper and gold concentrate annually.
The acquisition of the terminal was supported by a $5 million grant from the Province of British Columbia through its Northwest Strategy.
Federal regional development agency PacifiCan separately provided $672,134 towards terminal modernisation and expansion planning.
The terminal is used to transport minerals from Newmont’s Brucejack and Red Chris mines, which are located within Nisg̱a’a and Tahltan territories.
The facility is owned through Portland Canal Holdings, which operates alongside Portland Canal Transportation to provide trucking, logistics and marine terminal services. The combined operations employ approximately 100 full-time workers.
Northwest British Columbia accounts for more than half of the province’s mineral exploration activity, according to the partnership.
The owners expect the terminal to handle increased mineral volumes as extraction activity in the region develops.
