42 - Wednesday, Juiy 24, 1991 - North Shore News

Local shipbuilding industry

struggles to keep afloat

THE NORTH Shore is home to over 50% of the Port of

Vancouver’s industrial sector.

Heavy industry Jocated along
the North Shore waterfront in-
cludes three shipyards, two grain
elevators, three chemicai plants,
several bulk-ioading facilities and
two forest product terriinals.

The waterfront is clso home to
one of B.C.’s largest railroad
companies.

During the last year consider-
able attention has been focused on
the North Shore waterfront and
its future.

Much of that attention has been
focused on the depressed opera-
tions of Versatile Pacific Ship-
yards Inc. (VPSI), once the largest

shipyard on the B.C, West Coast.

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

The company is now desperately
trying 10 stave off bankruptcy. In
March, VPSI was granted B.C.
Supreme Court protection under
the Companies Creditors  <Ar-
rangement Act for a 120-day
breathing period to restructure its
finances in order to satisfy its
many creditors.

On July 15, VPSI submitted a
new business plan to the B.C.
Supreme Court. Creditors are now

reviewing the plan to determine if
it is acceptable.

Company officials believe the
plan is a sound one: others ure
not so sure. Under the plan, Ver-
satile would close its North Van-
couver yard permanently and sell
off the its $60-million floating
drydock.

But it's not all doom and gloom
along the waterfront.

Allied Shipbuilders Ltd. has
won a $6-million contract to help
build a $120-million superferry for
the B.C. Ferry Corp. (BCFC),
while North Vancouver's Van-
couver Shipyards Co. Ltd. recent-
ly completed another BCFC vessel
for about $18 million and is cur-
rently building a second $20-

SEASPAN INTERNATIONAL, Vancouver Shipyards and Van-
couver Wharves, located east of the Lions Gate Bridge, are
three of the major industries located along the North Shore

watertront.

million ferry.

All of the North Shore’s bulk-
loading facilities continue to
flourish; Neptune Bulk Terminals
(Canada) Ltd. was recently
granted permission from the Van-
couver Port Corp. for a major
expansion.

Neptune is now building a se-
cond potash storage shed; the
project has been opposed by area
residents who argue that the ex-
pansion will increase noise and
airs pollution,

The North Shore waterfront is
congested with a variety of in-
dustries and there is very little

space left vacant.

The only major waterfront site
sitting idle is the 68-acre Fuller-
ton Fill industrial property along
the North Vancouver waterfront
located near the Capilano Mall.

According to Vancouver Port
Corp. chief executive officer Capt.
Norman Stark, the Fullerton site
is the last piece of prime real
estate left in the inner harbor and
should be saved for future indus-
trial use.

Stark has a vision for the port:
he wants it to become one of the
leading ports in the world.

North Shore is home to a variety of industries

THE following are the major industries located along the

North Shore waterfront:

CHEMICAL PLANTS:
Canadian Occidental
Lid:

@ owned by CanadianOxy Indus-
trial Chemicals Ltd. Partnership;

© employs about 175 people, and
for 1990, the $160-million plant
paid $475,000 in municipal taxes;
«imports bulk sea salt and ex-
ports chlorine, caustic soda and
muriatic acid to pulp and paper
mills and to petrochemical in-
dustries in Western Canada;

© processes oil, gas and chemicals;
also markets sulphur and explores
for minerals;

© produces 405 tonnes of chlorine
and 450 tennes of caustic soda
daily;

* has a berth 152 metres long and
a water depth of 10.66 metres.
Dow Chemical Canada Inc.:
®owned by Dow Chemical
Canada Lid.; handies caustic
soda, ethylene dichloride and
ethlene glycol;

© caustic soda is used by the pulp
and paper industry and 95% of it
is shipped to North Vancouver
from a Dow Chemical plant in
Alberta;

*employs five Dow employees
and up to 20 specially-trained
longshoremen;
“contributed $300,000
municipal taxes for 1990;

© berth at the Lynnierm facility;
* has the capacity to store up to
40,600 tonnes of caustic soda
solution, 30,000 tonnes of
ethylene dichloride and 17,000
tonnes of ethylene glycol.

Albright & Wilson Americas:

* employs about 54 permanent
staff and 14 temporary staff and
paid $210,600 in 1990 in
municipal taxes;

® produces an average of 69,000
tonnes of sodium chlorate annual-
ly; the product is shipped to pulp
mills and used in the production
of the dioxin-free pulp bleaching
agent, chlorine dioxide.

BULK TERMINALS:

Cassiar Mining Corp.:

* owned by the Princeton Mining
Corp., Cassier ships raw white
asbestos and general cargo;

* employs an average of 13 peo-
ple;

© contributed $47,294 in municipal
taxes for 1990;

© largest customers are France and
Germany, but ships to customers
all over the free world, except for
the United States and Australia;
ehas a storage shed capacity of
17,500 tonnes.

Fibreco Export inc.:

Petroleum

in

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

* owned by Fibreco Export tnc.;

*the largest volume woodchip

terminal in the world; :

* employs 11 people and up to 50

longshoremen;

© paid $257,000 in municipal taxes

for 1990;

ships an average of 1.5 million

tonnes annually.

Neptune Bulk Terminals (Canada)
td.:

@ owned by Neptune Bulk Termi-

nals (Canada) Ltd.

e paid $547,499 in municipal taxes

for 1990;

© employs about 260 workers;

<a

longshoremen;

e the largest multi-product deep-
sea loading facility on Canada’s
West Coast;

*currently handles an annual
volume of over seven million ton-
nes;

«handles a wide-range of pro-
ducts including copper, lead, zinc,
liquids, methanol, pulp and paper,
sulphur, potash, phosphate rock
and fertilizers;

has five berths, sits on 40 hec-
tares and has a storage capacity of
1.25 million tonnes;

*value of products that move
through the terminal annually
total an estimated $3.5 billion.
FOREST PRODUCTS TERMI-
NALS:

Lynaterm:

e owned and operated by
Vancouver Port. Corp.;

the

x

_

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

VANCOUVER SHIPYARDS, the largest shipyard on the North
Shore, recently built the $18-million Queen of Capilano ferry for

the 8.C. Ferry Corp.

* the bulk-ioading facility recently
received permission from the Port
of Vancouver, which owns its
Norih Vancouver waterfront site,
to build a new $24-million potash
storage shed;

* owned by a consortium of ship-
pers from Western Canada who
produce and ship such bulk pro-
ducts as coal, potash, phosphate
rock, alfalfa and canola oil for
export to world markets;

* has three berths.

Vancouver Wharves Lid.:

* owned by Vancouver Wharves
Lids:

* paid $782,000 in municipal taxes
for 1990;

*employs about 180 staff and
regular workforce and up to 70

*employs about 25 office staff
and up to 150 longshoremen;

@as a Crown corporation, Lynn-
ierm is exempt from municipal
taxes but pays an annual
municipal grant in lieu;

e handles forest products and is
also involved with the export of
steel containers and gencral cargo;

© sits on 82 acres;

ehas berthing facilities of 838
metres long and a water depth of
iS metres.

Seaboard International Terminal:

e owned by Seaboard Interna-
tional Terminal (a division of the
Seaboard Shipping Co. Ltd.);

* employs 13 office staff and up
to 1§0 longshoremen depending
on shipping schedules;

# paid $362,506 in municipal taxes
for 1990;

© receives, stores and ships forest
products all over the world;

ethe largest volume forest pro-
ducts terminal in the world;

© located on 55 acres;

has two storage sheds that can
handle up to 13,935 square metres
of fumber,

GRAIN TERMINALS:

Pioneer Grain Terminal:

© owned by Pioneer Grain Termi-
nal Ltd.;

* employs about 80 grain person-
nel and varying numbers of
longshoremen;

@ paid $431,546 in municipal taxes
for 1990;

e unloads about 29,000 railcars of
cereal grains and oil seeds per year
for :xport to world markets;

@has a (80-metre long berth and
a water depth of 15.24 metres.
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool:

* employs about 160 people;

© paid $674,077 in municipal taxes
for 1990;

e ships 60% wheat, 25% barley
and 15% canola seed.
SHIPYARDS:

Versatile Pacific Shipyards Inc.:
e owned by Shieldings Inc.
Toronto;

@ paid $352,582 in municipal taxes
in 1990;

ehas a $60-million Panamax
floating dry dock 220 metres long,
45.8 metres wide and a lifting ca-
pacity of 36,000 tonnes.

«going through major financial
hardships: submitted a restruc-
tured business pian to the B.C.
Supreme Court this month and
creditors are reviewing the plan to
sec if it is acceptable. If not, Ver-
satile may have to declare
bankruptcy. Under the plan, Ver-
satile’s North Vancouver yard
would be closed permanently.
Has laid off its entire North Van-
couver workforce.

Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd.:

© owned by Seaspan International
Lid.;

*® employs around 550 people (for
taxes paid see Seaspan);

e designs, builds and repairs
vessels ranging from pleasure
crafts to ferrics to large ocean-
going carriers;

@loacted on 40 acres of water-
front property;

e equipped with a Syncrolift
marine elevator thai bondles
vessels up to 90 metres in fcagth,
21.34 metres in breadih and
weighing up to 1,200 tonnes.

Allied Shipbuilders Ltd:

e currently working on a $6-
million subcontract to help build a
$120-million superferry for the

of

B.C. Ferry Corp.;

*employment figures fluctuate
with contracts; employs about
115;

* paid $60,000 in municipal taxes
for 1990;

®was the first shipyard to be
awarded a subcontract for the
superferry project.

Seaspan International Ltd.:

othe largest tug and barge com-
pany in Canada;

* employs around 650 or approx-
imately 1,200 including those at its
subsidiary Vancouver Shipyards
Co. Lid.;

® paid $282,000 in municipal taxes
for 1990 (including Vancouver
Shipyards);

*has a fleet of 45 tugs, two
train-ships and 240  special-pur-
pose barges, including the largest
self-loading, self-dumping log
barge in the world;

¢ figures prominently in Van-
couver port activities; irs tugs and
barges are used to move materials,
goods and equipment for some of
B.C.’s largest industries;

ein addition to the two marine
transportation services it provides
to the forest, mining, chemical
and construction industries,
Seaspan plays a major role in the
movement of vessels within the
port system;

*ocean-going barges operate
along the North American West
Coast between ports in B.C.,
Alaska, Washington State,
Oregon, California and Mexico.
RAILWAYS:

BC Rail:

® Crown corp.;

*employs approximately 808
people and sits on 155 acres of
land in North Vancouver;

ehead office located in North
Vancouver;

has passenger and cargo service
throughout B.C.;

e does not pay municipal taxes or
grants in lieu;

eis the main railroad servicing
North Shore port facilities.
CN Rail:

* provides support for
Shore’s industrial activities;
e©CN directly services Neptune
Bulk Terminals, the Saskatchewan
Wheat Pool, Pioneer Grain, Lyn-
nterm and Dow Chemicals;
eemplovs about 90 people in its
North Vancouver operation;
etaxed on a utility assessment
basis, figure not available.
OTHER FACILITIES

C.H. Cates & Sons Lid:
eemploys 97 people;
© paid $87,000 in municipal taxes
for 1990;

© operates 15 tugs.

North