Final report - Integrated Land Management Bureau

KITIMAT
2.2.7 Roads
Transportation Assessment of the Central & North Coast of BC
Kitimat boasts a sheltered deepwater passage and harbour, situated 80 nautical
miles inland from major shipping routes. It accommodates 250 to 300 deep sea
vessels per year, ranging up to 50,000 dwt in capacity.
There are three deep-sea marine terminals available for international imports and
a base of operations for a full-service tugboat operator. Two of the marine
terminals are single berth, while the third has double berth for handling break-bulk
vessels plus a 100 tonne hydraulic RO/RO barge facility. Major cargos handled at
the Kitimat Port include alumina, green and petroleum coke, aluminum,
condensate, methanol, sackkraft and linerboard.
All terminals in Kitimat are privately owned and operated, and there is no Port
Authority. Consequently, vessels and operators are not subject to the same fees
and taxes as those under the jurisdiction of a Port Authority, such as harbour dues,
berthage or wharfage. However, operators are required to pay marine service
fees, and for pilots. And because all operators are subject to the Canadian Marine
Act, they are required to adhere to the same security regulations as in any other
commercial harbour.
Every ship over 350 gross tons is subject to compulsory pilotage. The pilot
boarding station is located on Triple Island, near Prince Rupert. This puts Kitimat
Port at a disadvantage because of its distance from Triple Island. The master,
owner or agent of a ship that is to arrive in a compulsory pilotage area must notify
their time of arrival, and stop to pick up two pilots en route to Kitimat. This is
because the maximum shift for the pilots is 8 hours, but the trip from Triple Island
to Kitimat is more than 8 hours, so two pilots are required. Because of the
locational disadvantage, there are higher pilotage fees associated with travel to
and from Kitimat than to and from Prince Rupert.
CENTRAL COAST
Highway 20 is the only road link between the Central Coast and the rest of the
province. It runs east-west between the Bella Coola Valley and Williams Lake, a
distance of 456 kilometres. At Williams Lake, Highway 20 connects with Highway
97, the key north-south road corridor in BC.
The final portion of Highway 20 into the Bella Coola Valley was completed in 1953
by the citizens who lived there. The western component of Highway 20 that rises
out of the Bella Coola Valley and through the mountains (Heckman Pass) is famous
for its remarkably steep grades -- as much as 18 percent -- and several
switchbacks. This notwithstanding, this part of Highway 20, know as The Hill, is
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