According to the most recent statistics come from B.C. Stats (via ICBC), Surrey has more licensed commercial vehicles than Vancouver. It looks like it’s been this way for over a decade.
Looking at the graph above, the number of commercial vehicles registered in Surrey continues to rise while Vancouver remains relatively flat. Despite a small dip between 2003 and 2004, the number of licensed commercial vehicles in Surrey rose from 35,459 in 1999 to 48,508 in 2011. A significant increase. Contrast this to vehicles registered in Vancouver: 35,586 in 1999 to 32,519 in 2011.
One one can also see, the other area south of the Fraser that was included in the statistics was Abbotsford, which has also seen a steady growth of commercial vehicles. It has increased from 15,934 in 1999 to 20,160 in 2011.
It’s interesting to speculate what this means: does this signify a shift of manufacturing and distribution away from Vancouver? If so, what are the implications of this?
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The de-industrialisation of Vancouver – and the shift of the distribution/logistics business – has been underway for some time. It has also been the subject of some municipal handwringing, as the loss of industrial activity and its replacement by residential land use means overall loss of municipal revenues. Industry contributes to municipal taxes more than it costs: residential is the reverse. Employment has also shifted outwards steadily in the last 20 years. The only surprise I have is that the cv registrations seem to be keeping up – possibly as head offices (who actually do the registrations) have not moved out as fast as operations.