PM: Trade with Asia at core of improving roads, ports
Ian Bailey
Province
STEPHEN HARPER
Prime Minister Stephen Harper yesterday cast the Pacific Gateway strategy as a national priority.
Harper, capping a two-day visit to Vancouver, promised $321 million in immediate funding for Gateway projects over four years. Ottawa has promised a total of $591 million over eight years for the Asia Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative.
The plan is aimed at improving road, rail and ports to smooth the passage of goods through B.C. between North American and Asian markets.
“Canada should be the crossroads between the massive economy of the United States and the burgeoning economies of Asia,” said Harper.
The prime minister was joined by Premier Gordon Campbell, mayors, business leaders, representatives of the three western provinces and others at the Ballantine Terminal.
The Port of Vancouver handled $43 billion in goods last year.
The Tories are expecting their support to boost Canada’s share of West Coast container traffic from nine to 14 per cent by 2020.
“[By 2020], there will be an enormous growth of the container traffic itself so we are not merely increasing our share, but we’re increasing our share of a growing pie,” Harper said.
The private sector is promising $3 billion for projects between 2004 and 2010.
The new money is to cover a shopping list of infrastructure projects including:
– A new Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill interchange at a cost of $90 million,
– Up to $50 million for a new grade separation in the Roberts Bank Railway Corridor,
– Up to $37 million for the continued twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park,
– Up to $100 million to build the South Fraser perimeter road linking Deltaport, Fraser River port and industrial areas to the Trans-Canada Highway.
Paul Martin’s ousted federal Liberal government backed the Gateway project — current Trade Minister David Emerson was a champion of the effort as Martin’s industry minister.
Campbell welcomed the announcement.
“Today is the launching pad of Canada’s Pacific century. We are opening up our Pacific ports to the world,” he said.
B.C. Transport Minister Kevin Falcon said the Gateway plan was so important that B.C. would have put up the cash itself had Ottawa not been willing.
“There’s just no question that had the federal government not come to the table, we would have pushed forward,” he said.
© The Vancouver Province 2006