Port Saint John

It was a year that saw the completion of $247 million in infrastructure investments at the west side container terminal, Port Saint John recorded 2025 as a big year for container operations.

Container volume increased by 29.4 per cent from 2024 to 2025, going from 184,879 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) to 239,364 TEUs.

Compared to 86,949 TEUs in 2021, it represents a five-year container throughput growth of 175.2 per cent.

“2025 was a defining year for our container sector,” said Port Saint John president and CEO Craig Bell Estabrooks in a press release.

Estabrooks credited the efforts of container terminal operator DP World, supply chain and marine partners, and waterfront workers for making Port Saint John a port of choice for global trade.

DP World in Canada CEO Doug Smith said the volume increase reflected the strength of operations and customer confidence in the port.

“We will continue investing in infrastructure, service reliability and workforce capacity to further strengthen Saint John’s role in Canada’s supply chain,” he said.

Port Saint John has marked the completion of its $247‑million west side modernization project.

The work caps more than a decade of planning and construction aimed at expanding the terminal and strengthening the port’s role in national trade.

Ceremony marks completion of upgrades

The project, funded by the federal and provincial governments along with the port, includes a new berth, upgraded rail connections, expanded laydown space and a deeper channel.

Port officials said the upgrades have increased container capacity more than fourfold and created room for future growth.

Officials cut the ribbon Tuesday to mark the completion of the $247‑million modernization project.

Port CEO Craig Bell Estabrooks told the crowd the work represents a major turning point for the waterfront and the region.

He noted the port handled just 86,000 TEUs when he joined the organization and finished last year just under 240,000.

“We’re demonstrating growth. We’re just getting started,” he said.

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Premier Susan Holt thanked past and present governments, port workers and industry partners for supporting the project.

She said the port is already contributing to national supply chains and will continue to grow.

“This mighty port — small but mighty — is contributing to Canada’s economic strength,” Holt said.

She added the province intends to build on the modernization with future projects and job creation.

“Give us a little bit of time, and we’re going to go from number three to number one.”

Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon said the project has reshaped the city’s skyline and renewed public interest in the waterfront.

“Today is about completion, but it’s also about momentum,” she said.

Reardon told the crowd the port’s role extends far beyond the city.

“This port is not only Saint John’s, not only the province’s — it’s Canada’s passport to the future.”

DP World sees long‑term growth ahead

DP World Canada CEO Doug Smith outlined the company’s long‑term confidence in the terminal, pointing to his experience working with ports around the world.

He noted the port handled 239,000 TEUs last year and is forecasting more than 300,000 next year, with another 100,000 already in planning.

Smith said that trajectory is why DP World and the port are working toward a long‑term goal of handling one million TEUs annually.

“When you look at the potential here, you really have to ask: why not?” he told the crowd.

Former port CEO and current senator Jim Quinn reflected on the early days of the project and the years of work required to bring it to completion.

“It’s an emotional day for me. I’ve been dreaming of this day for a number of years,” Quinn said.

He described the modernization as a foundation for future growth and a catalyst for the province’s economy.

Port board chair Jack Keir recalled the decision to proceed with the project in March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic.

He said then‑CEO Quinn presented a plan to invest more than $200 million despite global uncertainty.

“That takes some gumption,” Keir said.

Outgoing chief operating officer Andrew Dixon said the project continues a long tradition of reinvention on the waterfront.

“A great port modernization was accomplished almost 100 years ago — and thanks to a team of visionaries, dreamers and believers, we have done it again,” he said.

The container sector is expected to contribute more than $125 million to New Brunswick’s GDP next year and support hundreds of jobs, according to Port Saint John.

Officials said the modernization marks the beginning of a new phase of growth for the port and the region.

Port Saint John is closing out one of its strongest years, with strong gains in container traffic and a busy cruise season.

CEO Craig Bell Estabrooks said the year unfolded during a period of uncertainty in global trade, including new tariffs in the United States and a federal election in Canada that focused heavily on supply chains.

Even with those pressures, he said the port expects to finish between 230,000 and 240,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), well above last year’s total of 180,000.

Estabrooks said the growth reflects a decade of planning tied to the port’s modernization program.

“You know, 10 years ago when we dreamed of the modernization and got the funding in place and started building, we knew it was going to take some time to achieve the volumes that we’re getting today,” he said.

“It’s happened a little sooner than we anticipated, but we’re still very, very early in that story.”

The port also completed its $247‑million modernization project, funded largely by the provincial and federal governments.

Estabrooks said the upgrades give Saint John a deeper harbour, modern berths and the ability to handle larger vessels. A ribbon cutting is planned for January.

Cruise traffic also reached a high point this year. Estabrooks said the port welcomed just under 200,000 passengers, including several ships diverted to Saint John due to storms.

He said the port reached its maximum capacity during five days in the fall when three ships arrived each day, and the focus was on maintaining safety and a strong passenger experience.

Looking ahead, Estabrooks said the next phase of growth will focus on land‑side improvements.

That includes better use of four underused warehouses, continued rail investment and preparing for even larger ships arriving in 2026.

He said DP World, the port’s terminal operator, has publicly described Saint John as a potential “million‑TEU play,” though the port is currently at about a quarter of that level.

“While we’re really proud of our growth, we’ve got a lot more work to do,” he said.

Estabrooks also pointed to the Americold cold‑storage facility now under construction as an important addition to the port’s future.

He said the temperature‑controlled warehouse will support food‑grade products and strengthen the port’s role in the cold chain once it opens.

He said the port’s progress has been years in the making, but the focus is already shifting to what comes next.

“You can be reflective, it’s important to be reflective,” he said. “But then you park it and move on and keep going.”