A pod of transient killer whales was recently spotted hanging out in Burrard Inlet over several days, drawing widespread attention and delight from residents and tourists alike. The whales were seen moving throughout Vancouver’s inner harbour, between the Lions Gate Bridge and the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing after earlier sightings near Indian Arm. Observers noted the unusual behaviour as the whales lingered in the busy and congested inlet while hunting seals and sea lions.

After several days the pod eventually departed the harbour when Transport Canada tried to detain them for not having an up to date fishing license. Fortunately the pod was able to wait till the close of office hours and then left without incident.

A sharp increase in diesel prices, up about 60% since the start of the year, is beginning to drive higher grain transportation costs, with impacts expected across trucking, rail, and ocean shipping.

While Canada’s regulated rail system may delay the full effect, these higher fuel costs will eventually be reflected with increased rail rates. The country’s rail shipping rates for grain are guided and regulated by the maximum revenue entitlement.

At the end of every crop year, the railways are allowed to adjust their actual revenues by applying deductions such as capital investments, depreciation on rail cars and fuel costs to help ensure their revenues stay below their maximum entitlement.

Ocean freight rates are also set to spike as bunker prices have more than doubled since the start of the year. The Global 20 Ports Average rate for bunker fuel was US$957.50 per tonne as of April 2, slightly more than double the Jan. 1 price of $464. It is estimated that fuel accounts for almost half of the total costs of shipping products by ocean vessel.

According to Quorum Corporation, these cost increases will likely emerge in the coming months, though stronger grain prices may partially offset the impact, with consumers (surprise, surprise) ultimately expected to absorb much of the increase.

Canadian farmers expect to plant more canola and less wheat in 2026 compared to the previous year, according to the first planting intentions report from Statistics Canada released March 5. Barley, soybeans and corn area are also expected to increase, while oats, lentils and dry peas are forecast to decrease.

The survey was conducted from mid-December to mid-January, marking the earliest time planting intentions data was collected by the agency. Subsequent surveys will provide data on actual planted area, with revisions possible for the next two years.

Wheat – Total Canadian wheat area is expected to be down by 1.1 per cent from 2025, at 26.7 million acres. Much of the decline was tied to a 6.7 per cent drop in winter wheat seeded in the fall, with spring wheat relatively steady on the year.

Canola – Canola area is forecast to increase by 1.0 per cent on the year at 21.8 million acres. The survey was conducted before China announced it was lifting tariffs on Canadian canola, causing prices to rise, and analysts generally expect actual canola area will top 22 million acres.

Soybeans – Soybean planting intentions came in at 5.9 million acres, which would be up by 2.9 per cent from 2025. Ontario remains the top growing area for soybeans, with acreage expected to increase by 0.2 per cent to 2.9 million acres.

Meanwhile, Manitoba farmers intend to plant 12.9 per cent more soybeans in 2026, with area forecast at 1.9 million acres.

Barley and oats – Barley area is expected to increase by 5.0 per cent on the year, at 6.4 million acres. That was in line with trade expectations.

Oats area is forecast at 2.9 million acres, which would be down by 3.1 per cent from 2025.

Corn – Canadian farmers expect to plant 3.8 million acres of corn for grain in 2026, up 1.7 per cent from one year earlier. Ontario is forecast to see the largest increase in corn area, at 5.4 per cent. If realized, that would see Ontario farmers plant a record 2.3 million acres of corn.

Pulses – Most pulse crops are forecast to see lower planted area in 2026, with lentil planting intentions down 5.5 per cent at 4.1 million acres; peas down 12.3 per cent at 3.1 million acres; and edible beans down 30.7 per cent at 295,000 acres.

Of the major Canadian pulse crops, only chickpeas are expected to see an increase on the year with planted area estimated at 575,000 acres, which would be up by 6.3 per cent.

Courtesy: The Western Producer

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) has begun an environmental review process for a potential dredging project at Second Narrows that would specifically boost the potential for increased oil shipments out of the Trans Mountain Westridge Marine Terminal.

Many of the tankers calling on Westridge Terminal are Aframax-class oil tankers that are up to 255 metres long and can carry up to 755,000 barrels of oil at full capacity. The current width and depth of the Second Narrows channel create limitations on the volume of crude that can be carried in the tankers calling at Westridge Terminals. Trans Mountain claims on its website that Afrimax-class tankers are generally able load to only about 80% of capacity to clear the current draft restrictions.

The Trans Mountain pipeline, which supplies Westridge Terminal, currently has a capacity of 890,000 barrels of oil per day. The company is currently working on projects to increase its capacity by up to another 500,000 barrels per day.

In September of 2025, the port reported that shipments of mostly diluted bitumen hit 11.6 million tonnes in the first half of 2025, a 365% increase from the same period in 2024, when the expanded pipeline first started operations.

While the main goal of the dredging will be to enable tankers to pass through Second Narrows at 100% load capacity on deeper drafts, the dredging will also improve the transit windows for vessels loading potash and sulphur at Pacific Coast Terminals which, like Westridge, is located east of Second Narrows. Given the port’s prioritization to facilitate tanker traffic through the harbour, the extra transit windows created by the dredging will also be key for these bulkers.

On paper, the proposed project looks relatively small. Dredging along the edges of the channel would disturb an estimated 25,000 cubic metres of material (sand, gravel sandstone and boulders) in a total area of less than two hectares, about the size of about three soccer fields, according to the project’s web page. The port estimates the total amount will represent less than one per cent of the amount it typically dredges up in its annual maintenance program.

The project, which has the support of the federal government, does face opposition from local First Nation and environmental groups. The main concerns raised are with seabed disturbance and marine ecosystem impacts, specifically the risk from disturbing toxic pollutants that have concentrated in sediments on the sea floor and blocking sunlight that would interrupt the growth of phytoplanktons key to the marine food web.

The review is expected to carry on through 2026. If approved, work would be expected to commence in late 2026 – early 2027 and take up to a year to complete.

The Port of Vancouver (POV) moved its highest cargo volumes ever in 2025, handling 170.4 million metric tonnes, an 8% increase from the previous year, driven largely by strong exports of Canadian commodities.

International volumes were up 11% to 147.0 MMT, while domestic volumes were down 12% to 23.4 MMT. This is the second year in row that the port has broken its own record for cargo throughput after setting the previous standard in 2024. The POV now handles more cargo than the next five largest Canadian ports combined.

Exports of grain, crude oil and potash led the way, all hitting record levels, while containerized and auto trade also had banner years. More than three-quarters of this trade was going to or coming from Indo-Pacific countries. The top trading partners for the port in 2025 were China (36% of total international volumes), Japan (13%) and South Korea (9%).

These numbers were underpinned by banner performances across the bulk sector, which is 98% export driven. Overall bulk volumes grew 11% to reach a record 130.7 MMT in 2025, including:

Bulk grain exports hit a new record of 30.3 MMT thanks to strong wheat exports, which were up 20% compared to 2024 for a record of 15.9 MMT. This wheat was shipped to 35 countries, mainly throughout the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Central America and Middle East regions.

Fertilizer exports were up 21% overall in 2025. Western Canadian potash had a very strong year, up 28% compared to 2024 and setting a new high of 10.5 MMT, breaking the previous record set in 2020. Sulphur also enjoyed some growth, up 5% from 2024’s total.

Crude oil exports doubled in 2025 to a record 24.4 MMT, as the Trans Mountain expansion enabled Alberta oilsands producers to grow exports to markets in China and South Korea. Crude oil is now one of the single largest export commodities moving through the port.

Containerized cargo also hit a new record in 2025, with the POV’s four container terminals handling 3.8 million 20-foot equivalent units (or TEUs), which was 9% higher than 2024 and 3% higher than the previous record set in 2021 (3.7 million TEUs). This growth was driven by both a record level of containerized imports (laden inbound up 5%) and continued increase in containerized export volumes (up about 3%).

Not to be left out, the auto sector also enjoyed a banner year as volumes moving through the port reached a new record of almost 480,000 vehicles in 2025, up 2% compared to the previous record set in 2024. Nearly 100% of Canada’s Asian-manufactured vehicle imports arrive via the Port of Vancouver, with recent work at the Annacis Auto Terminal increasing its capacity.

Canola oil exports saw an overall 2% decrease thanks largely to trade difficulties with our leading customers. While China and the US still made up close to two-thirds of our canola oil export market, it was exports to new and growing overseas markets that helped offset the loses with our traditional partners. This growth was led by exports to South Korea (up 37%), Peru (up 217%) and nine other countries that saw no canola oil exports from Canada in 2024.

The strong performances across most bulk products offset a fall in bulk exports of coal and canola seed, with canola seed falling sharply from August onwards following Chinese tariffs to end the year down 23% at 6.6 MMT. The Port of Vancouver handled about 50% of Canada’s total canola seed exports last year.

On the other side, breakbulk cargo was down 15% to 12.9 MMT, with foreign breakbulk up 1% at 1.9 MMT and domestic breakbulk down 18% at 11.0 MMT.

While cruise passenger visits decreased 11% to 1.2 million and cruise ship visits were down 8% at 300.

Source: Vancouver Fraser Port Authority