The announced conversion of the Fairview Terminal at the Prince Rupert Port Authority is believed to have been the impetus for creating a similar facility in northeastern Nova Scotia.
During the facility's design phase, it was noted that a critical part of the area immediately onshore where infilling and pier construction would take place, was privately owned.
Project partners had originally included a major U.S. terminal operator SSA Marine, as well as various shipping lines and financing companies.
Following the 2005 announcement of the Melford International Terminal, a group of marine infrastructure owners in Sydney, Nova Scotia have developed a competing proposal to dredge Sydney Harbour at an estimated cost of $40 million to accommodate deep draft container ships and build a 2–3 berth container terminal at the Sydport Industrial Park, the former navy base in Point Edward at a cost of $150 million.
[3] A contract was signed in April 2011 with Netherlands engineering firm Boskalis for the dredging work in Sydney Harbour to take place in fall 2011.