Fraser River Port Authority (Canada) : The Fraser River Port Authority administered the harbour of the main lower Fraser River until it was amalgamated with the Vancouver Port Authority and the North Fraser Port Authority to form the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in 2008.
First formed in 1913 as the New Westminster Harbour Commission, its jurisdiction originally comprised the portion of the main lower Fraser River from its mouth to the eastern end of Douglas Island, at the mouth of the Pitt River, above Port Mann, and portion of the North Arm of the river from its confluence with the main river to the westerly boundary of New Westminster. The jurisdiction was later reworded to include the entire water and foreshore areas of the Fraser between Kanaka Creek and Tilbury Island, the North Arm of the river downstream from New Westminster to 20th Street, and the Pitt River upstream to Pitt Lake. The Commission also had responsibility for navigation from Tilbury Island to the sand heads on Georgia Strait. The focus of the New Westminster Harbour Commission in its early years was on dredging, clearing debris, and promoting shipping via the port.
In 1965, the Harbour Commissions Act established the Fraser River Harbour Commission under the Department of Transport. This Commission assumed all the duties and responsibilities of the New Westminster Harbour Commissioners. As well, the 10 municipalities and cities bordering on the Lower Fraser (Richmond, Delta, Coquitlam, Surry, Pitt Meadows, Langley, Maple Ridge, Fraser Mills, New Westminster, and Port Coquitlam) gained direct representation on the new board, as the new Act declared that two members of the board be appointed by these municipalities. The main responsibility of the Fraser River Harbour Commission was to administer the Harbour and to assist in the development of trade and industry in all municipalities ordering the lower reaches of the river.
On June 11, 1998, the Canada Marine Act received Royal Assent, designating the Fraser River Harbour Commission as the Fraser River Port Authority. The major functions of the port authority included: business development; capital projects and infrastructure investment; property administration; harbour administration; and environmental stewardship.
In 2008, the Fraser River Port Authority was amalgamated with the North Fraser Port Authority and the Vancouver Port Authority to form the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, also known as Port Metro Vancouver.
