CONFERENCE RECAPS: SECURITY
On the continuum Modern port security
A t the APP 2026 Winter Conference, Anita Gill, Director of Security, Com- pliance and Authorizations and Port Security Director at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, delivered a detailed and candid presentation on how Canada’s largest port is redefining the relationship between port security and policing. Drawing on a career that spans Canada Border Services Agency, prov- incial sheriff services, and policing experience, Gill framed her remarks with both operational realism and stra- tegic vision. “All of those jobs really did prepare me for when I joined the Port Authority,” she said, recalling that she initially accepted a one-year, tem- porary role after leaving government service. “I took a chance, and I think it worked out for me.” Background Gill began by clarifying the govern- ance structure that shapes Canadian ports. Unlike some U.S. counterparts, Canadian port authorities are not directly operated by the federal gov- ernment. Instead, under the Canada Marine Act , they operate as non-profit, arm’s-length entities that report to the Minister of Transport. “Our purpose is to enable Canada’s trade,” she explained. “We are non- profit, arm’s length from the govern- ment, but report to the Minister of Transport. We reinvest profits we make back into the Pacific Gateway.” As a landlord port, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority enters into leases, licenses, and permits with ter- minal operators and port users. Gill’s portfolio includes embedding regula- tory and environmental responsibilities into those agreements and ensuring
One of the most innovative elements of Gill’s strategy has been expanding the port authority’s own enforcement powers under provisions of the Canada Marine Act .
compliance through monitoring and graduated enforcement measures. “We put conditions into those [agreements] to make sure that the responsibilities under the Canada Marine Act are understood by the port community,” she said. “And then we go out and mon- itor to make sure that they’re following the conditions in their authorization.” The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s largest and the fourth-largest port in North America by tonnage. In 2024, it handled approximately 3.5 million TEUs — an 11 percent increase from the previous year — and about CDN $350 billion in annual trade. It trades with 170 countries, with China, Japan, Korea, the United States, and India accounting for more than 60 percent of annual trade volume. The port spans roughly 16,000 hec- tares of water, over 1,500 hectares of land, and hundreds of kilometres of shoreline. It includes 29 major ter- minals across five sectors and inter- sects with 16 municipalities and the traditional territories of more than 35 Coast Salish Indigenous groups. “For me,” Gill noted, “that means dealing with 16 police chiefs, 16 fire chiefs, RCMP and CBSA at the federal level.” That web of jurisdictional over- lap makes coordination essential. Security and policing A central theme of Gill’s presenta- tion was her explanation of port secur- ity and policing “on a continuum.” On one side are security obligations driven by the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code
and Canada’s Marine Transportation Security Act , which require ports to implement access controls, surveil- lance systems, and protective measures aimed primarily at preventing terror- ism. “They were brought in after 9/11,” she reminded the audience. On the other side is criminal law enforcement — transnational crime, smuggling, and Criminal Code viola- tions — which are handled by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and municipal police forces. When Canada disbanded its Ports Canada Police decades ago, Gill explained, a study found that only 24 percent of their work involved core policing functions aligned with RCMP and CBSA. “Seventy percent of the Ports Police role involved monitor- ing the harbour,” she said. This “eyes and ears” function — boat patrols, security presence, and access control — shifted to port authorities, while criminal enforcement remained with federal and municipal agencies. Today, Vancouver’s port security framework includes 24/7 land patrols, harbour patrol, cameras, and extensive access control systems. Meanwhile, the federal government has committed additional officers to strengthen mar- ine and land border enforcement. Leaning less on police One of the most innovative elements of Gill’s strategy has been expanding the port authority’s own enforcement powers under provisions of the Canada Marine Act .
March 2026 — PACIFIC PORTS — 45
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