The Gateway Council is a dynamic, industry-led organization of senior executives from the seaports, airport, carriers and other companies engaged directly in the Gateway transportation business. The Council was formed in 1994 to build and act on a vision for Greater Vancouver as a world transportation gateway, able to meet global challenges and capitalize on opportunities for growth from expanding world trade and tourism. Looking ahead to 2030, the Gateway Council envisions cargo and passenger volumes doubling. This would provide tremendous economic opportunities for the Region. Total Gateway employment could reach 250,000 under this scenario. The main challenges facing the Greater Vancouver Region are how to handle projected growth and realize the Region’s gateway potential in the context of an expanding population, increasing real estate prices, and increasing demands for urban transportation, while at the same time making deep cuts to emissions. The Gateway Council has therefore undertaken to define this Vision for the Future of the Gateway as the transportation industry’s contribution to the broader question of how a truly sustainable Gateway Region can be achieved.

Four conditions must be met to realize the Gateway Council’s Vision:

1 - Gateway Transportation Investments...

Massive investments are needed in both transportation infrastructure and public transit to ensure the Gateway can handle projected expansion in transportation demands for local and international movements of passengers, goods and services.

2 - Room to Grow...

To handle growth in Pacific trade and travel and the high-wage permanent jobs that would be generated, requires sufficient available industrial lands to be set aside for Gateway developments, and that residential and commercial developments be concentrated along major transportation corridors.

3 - Sufficient Skilled Labour...

Rapid gateway growth is occurring at a time of high economic activity in Western Canada. Ways and means must be found to ensure adequate numbers of skilled employees over the coming decades.

4 - Policy, Taxation and Regulatory Framework...

Changes in a range of policy, taxation and regulatory approaches are needed to allow the Gateway to compete effectively in the global marketplace and make the necessary investments in new technologies to ensure a sustainable future.

The way ahead - as the Region’s gateway business expands, high-value logistics services like trade financing, insurance, logistics management and marketing, will locate here, as will new, knowledge based industries that rely on efficient international connections to compete effectively. Success will mean a sustainable, prosperous future for this Region playing its full role as Canada’s Gateway to the Pacific. The way ahead will be through partnerships of governments and gateway industries working together.