The volume of crude cargo that passes through Vancouver's port each year has increased, and for oceanographer Peter Baker that's also increased his fear that something could go wrong.
"I'm very concerned about the safety and the possibility of an incident in those narrows," Baker told CTV News.
According to the port's own statistics, the amount of crude petroleum cargo rose by 77 per cent between 2008 and 2009.
The local source for crude exports is Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline. Last year the company loaded 65 tankers with crude oil, an increase from 42 tankers in 2008.
But Baker says it isn't just the number of shipments that's increased, it's the size of the tankers being used.
"From a panamax size ship to an aframax, which means that it's about another 10 metres wide and several metres deeper," he said.
"So you've got a large ship in a very narrow channel, and it's also an extremely tidal passage, so all of those build up to a higher and higher risk."
The Port of Vancouver says it conducts spill simulation exercises every year to prepare, but in the case of a real emergency a local containment and clean up agency would respond.
"The question though is how convinced we are as a community that what's going on there is safe," Port Metro Vancouver's Chris Badger said.
Vancouver city council held a special meeting Monday to gather information on oil tanker traffic around the city.
"We were getting a lot of inquiries from residents and concerns being expressed," Coun. Andrea Reimer said.
"Are we prepared if there was to be a spill, and if not are there things that we could be doing to ensure we're better prepared?"
Reimer says she would like to see an opportunity for the public to also discuss the issue at council in the future.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber
