Vancouver Fraser Port Authority gains three waterlot licences

Summary#

The federal government has issued supplementary letters patent that add three Crown waterlot licences to the land schedule of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority under the Canada Marine Act. The change records that the port authority holds licences for three marine areas, and it took effect on September 25, 2026.

What it does#

• Amends Schedule C of the port authority’s letters patent to list three interests in Crown waterlots that the authority holds by licence.
• Each licence is for a term of 20 years and was entered into between the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and His Majesty the King in Right of the Province of British Columbia:
  • Licence Agreement 243478, dated September 26, 2025 — a waterlot in the bed of the Strait of Georgia fronting Lot 1, Plan EPP28116 (shown on Sketch Plan S2021-024, February 25, 2021) containing 6 hectares.
  • Licence Agreement 244983, dated September 25, 2025 — a waterlot at Sturgeon Bank fronting District Lot 5738 (Lease Plan 2018-079, July 27, 2018) containing 50.17 hectares.
  • Licence Agreement 245107, dated September 26, 2025 — a waterlot in Westham Island Canoe Passage fronting District Lot 93 (Lease Plan 2014-025, January 16, 2014) containing 7.17 hectares.
• The supplementary letters patent came into force on the date they were issued: September 25, 2026.

Who's affected#

• The primary parties named are the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and His Majesty the King in Right of the Province of British Columbia (the licensor).
• People and groups who use or work near those marine areas — such as local mariners, businesses that rely on port lands, and nearby communities — may see practical effects, though the notice itself only records the licences and does not describe specific projects.
• The source does not say whether or how other groups (including Indigenous communities) were consulted or affected.

Why it matters#

• Recording these licences in the port authority’s letters patent formalizes the authority’s legal interest in the three marine areas for the next 20 years.
• That affects who manages and plans activity on those waterlots, which can influence shipping, development, environmental management, and access around those specific marine areas.
• The notice is largely an administrative step that documents the port authority’s licence rights; it does not by itself describe any new construction or operations.