Prime minister lays out plan to bolster port infrastructure on the West Coast: Knowledge Driven Revolution

Related - Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway

The federal government's Asia-Pacific Gateway plan aims to make Canada the crossroads between the massive engine of the United States and the burgeoning economies of Asia, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday.

Harper announced plans to invest $591 million over the next eight years on ports, roads, rails and other infrastructure to improve trading access to Asia-Pacific markets.

He said Canada is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the spectacular growth occurring in the Asia-Pacific region. Ports in Vancouver and Prince Rupert are days closer to Asia than are many U.S. ports.

"Yet in spite of this advantage and the huge cost savings it represents for shippers Canada today only handles nine per cent of West Coast container traffic."

The plan is to increase Canada's share of West Coast container traffic to 14 per cent by the year 2020.

It was first conceived by the former Liberal government, which was defeated in January. The Conservatives promised to deliver on the plan in their first budget.

"We're actually now beginning to act," Harper announced as he stood in front of one of Vancouver's busy ports along the Burrard Inlet.

Harper said the announcement is only the beginning.

"Improving our international transportation and trade links will lead to more business opportunities and jobs for British Columbians and for all Canadians."

The spending of $321 million of that funding starts right away with cash for bridges and highway interchanges in the Fraser Valley, underpasses for the Roberts Bank rail corridor and the twinning of the Trans Canada Highway through Banff National Park.

Harper was flanked by representatives of the four western provinces for his announcement, which was attended by business people.

B.C. Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon said the money means they can actually get shovels in the ground.

"This is a big day for British Columbia," he said.

"There's a recognition by the federal government that just as the St. Lawrence Seaway was critical to Canada's growth and development in the 1950s, so will the Pacific Gateway be critical for Canada's development in the future."

The plan will include improvements to cargo screening at the port of Prince Rupert and a high-tech system to manage container traffic at the busy ports of Vancouver. It also calls for expansion of all commercial ports on the West Coast.

Harper said a high-traffic management system will be developed for B.C.'s Lower Mainland to move containers into and out of port terminals faster and more efficiently.

The private sector has committed more than $3 billion to projects between 2004 and 2010.

The Port of Vancouver handled $43 billion worth of goods last year, mostly bulk commodities and shipping containers. Shipments of 76.5 million tonnes were up four per cent from the previous year.

The suburban Fraser River port handles 38 million tonnes and is the principle entry point for automobiles from Asia, receiving more than 450,000 last year.

The northern port of Prince Rupert, North America's closest deep-water port to Asia, handled about 4.2 million tonnes last year. Two-thirds of it was grain.

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HOME Canadians Should Pay NOT to be Poisoned: NDP V for Vendetta - R for Reality Canadian Bird Flu Pandemic Looming ? Shill of the Week: Stephan Harper Aspartame: The Sweetest Killer Chicken Little Terrorist of the Week: Creating Fake Terrorists Shill of the Week: Paul Martin The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave	Prime minister lays out plan to bolster port infrastructure on the West Coast Terri Theodore - CP October 14, 2006 Related - Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway The federal government's Asia-Pacific Gateway plan aims to make Canada the crossroads between the massive engine of the United States and the burgeoning economies of Asia, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday. Harper announced plans to invest $591 million over the next eight years on ports, roads, rails and other infrastructure to improve trading access to Asia-Pacific markets. He said Canada is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the spectacular growth occurring in the Asia-Pacific region. Ports in Vancouver and Prince Rupert are days closer to Asia than are many U.S. ports. "Yet in spite of this advantage and the huge cost savings it represents for shippers Canada today only handles nine per cent of West Coast container traffic." The plan is to increase Canada's share of West Coast container traffic to 14 per cent by the year 2020. It was first conceived by the former Liberal government, which was defeated in January. The Conservatives promised to deliver on the plan in their first budget. "We're actually now beginning to act," Harper announced as he stood in front of one of Vancouver's busy ports along the Burrard Inlet. Harper said the announcement is only the beginning. "Improving our international transportation and trade links will lead to more business opportunities and jobs for British Columbians and for all Canadians." The spending of $321 million of that funding starts right away with cash for bridges and highway interchanges in the Fraser Valley, underpasses for the Roberts Bank rail corridor and the twinning of the Trans Canada Highway through Banff National Park. Harper was flanked by representatives of the four western provinces for his announcement, which was attended by business people. B.C. Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon said the money means they can actually get shovels in the ground. "This is a big day for British Columbia," he said. "There's a recognition by the federal government that just as the St. Lawrence Seaway was critical to Canada's growth and development in the 1950s, so will the Pacific Gateway be critical for Canada's development in the future." The plan will include improvements to cargo screening at the port of Prince Rupert and a high-tech system to manage container traffic at the busy ports of Vancouver. It also calls for expansion of all commercial ports on the West Coast. Harper said a high-traffic management system will be developed for B.C.'s Lower Mainland to move containers into and out of port terminals faster and more efficiently. The private sector has committed more than $3 billion to projects between 2004 and 2010. The Port of Vancouver handled $43 billion worth of goods last year, mostly bulk commodities and shipping containers. Shipments of 76.5 million tonnes were up four per cent from the previous year. The suburban Fraser River port handles 38 million tonnes and is the principle entry point for automobiles from Asia, receiving more than 450,000 last year. The northern port of Prince Rupert, North America's closest deep-water port to Asia, handled about 4.2 million tonnes last year. Two-thirds of it was grain. Read the full article here Broken Link? If the link to the original article is broken or has been altered you can view the article by clicking here. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Features Archive
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