By Leo Quigley, AJOTThe success of Port of Prince Rupert’s Fairview Terminal in attracting container traffic between Asia and U.S. Midwest/Eastern Canadian destinations has sparked several proposals on the Canada’s East Coast to develop a similar terminal. The most advanced of these proposals appears to be that of Maher Melford Terminal which plans to develop a 315-acre container terminal and intermodal rail facility on the Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia, with at least two of the same players involved. In signing a Shareholder/Service Agreement with New Jersey-based Maher Terminals late last year the company said the proposed terminal will be similar to Fairview Container Terminal; both operated by Maher as high volume intermodal facilities with on-dock access to CN Rail’s North American network. Both CN rail and Maher Terminals have been principal players at the Port of Prince Rupert. While many other West Coast ports have experienced a slow down in container volumes during the first half of this year container handlings at Fairview soared 33.1 percent as of July with an 18 percent increase in loaded imports while outbound volume grew by 94.5 percent. A large portion of this growth at the terminal was the result of two additional services being added in May. China Ocean Shipping Co. added Prince Rupert to its South China service and Hanjin also added the port to its Pacific Northwest Express service the same month, representing the first time Hanjin has directly serviced the port.. For the first seven months of the year container volumes at the port were up 16.5 percent compared to the same period last year. Imports slipped slightly at 0.1 percent however exports were up 82.3 percent during the same time period. Overall, the terminal handled 165,283 loaded TEUs during the fiscal year which ended July 31. This volume represented a 15 percent increase from 2009 - 2010. Shaun Stevenson, Vice President Marketing & Business Development, said the plan to expand Fairview Terminal has now moved to the environmental assessment and permitting stage which they expect to be complete by mid-2012. “We’re spending a lot of time on opening up the industrial site on Ridley Island,” he said. “There’s potential for three or four new bulk terminals there and its all anchored by a common user corridor and utility corridor that we’ve been working with CN ” The common user rail and utility corridor would loop around Ridley Island so that each of the new terminals would tie into, he said. Plans are to potentially have dry bulk and liquid bulk terminals as well as general cargo facilities and breakbulk and land for project cargo. One bulk loading terminal that is very likely to be part of the bulk loading sector is Canpotex terminal. Canpotex acts as a shipper and marketer of potash for three of Saskatchewan’s major potash mines. The company has announced plans to build a major terminal at Prince Rupert to serve export markets and the company’s terminal plans are now undergoing environmental review. In addition the Canpotex is expanding the potash portion of its terminal at the Port of Vancouver. The proposed new terminal will include a marine wharf, access trestle, causeway and ship loading facility, an 180,000 tonne potash storage facility and associated conveyor and dust collection system, an automated railcar unloading and conveyor system. If all goes well it’s expected site clearing will take place in February or March of 2012 with construction beginning in the spring 2013 and completion early in 2016 Expectations are the common user corridor will also have received its permits by mid-2012 and be completed by mid-2014. The corridor will include a 7,818 meter long rail loop with up to 14 inbound and 11 outbound tracks, three inbound rail tracks and two outbound tracks leading to the Canpotex terminal, a 3.4 kilometre long, 69 kilovolt power line connecting Ridley Island and the Canpotex Terminal to the BC Hydro transmission system and an access road with a ra