PATH is a necessary addition to the Asia Pacific Gateway as it creates both volumetric and logistical capacity required to support continued growth of export and import shipping through Canada’s West Coast ports. It ensures that shipping to and through west coast terminals will occur at a lower cost and more efficiently. By doing so, existing terminals will achieve greater throughput and concomitant revenues.
With an annual design throughput capacity of five Million TEUs, PATH is forecast to handle between 1.4 and 2.1 Million TEUs, in its first year, growing to 4.2 Million TEU’s within 10 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
PATH is a proposed marine container trans-shipment hub in Sarita Bay, near Port Alberni, British Columbia, designed to strengthen Canada’s Pacific trade network. The project would receive cargo from large international container vessels and efficiently redistribute it to regional ports using a network of feeder barges, creating a more resilient and efficient supply chain.
Port Alberni offers several natural and strategic advantages. It is the closest deep-sea port on North America’s west coast to major Asia-Pacific shipping routes, has a deep, sheltered inland harbour capable of accommodating the world’s largest container vessels, and provides room for future expansion while helping relieve congestion at existing gateway ports.
PATH will increase Canada’s trade capacity, improve supply chain resilience, support export growth, and provide an alternative gateway for Pacific cargo. The project is expected to create significant employment opportunities, attract private investment, strengthen Canada’s transportation network, and support the federal objective of expanding trade with markets beyond the United States.
Rather than replacing existing ports, PATH is designed to complement them. Its hub-and-spoke model allows large ocean vessels to transfer containers at Port Alberni, where cargo is distributed by feeder barges to regional destinations. This approach reduces congestion, improves flexibility, and makes better use of existing marine transportation infrastructure.
PATH is currently in the planning and project development phase. Technical studies, economic analyses, engineering work, and stakeholder engagement have been completed or are ongoing to support future environmental review, funding applications, and investment decisions. The project continues to advance through collaboration with governments, Indigenous partners, industry, and other stakeholders.
