No. H096/04 For release October 29, 2004 OTTAWA - Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre today announced the appointment of Steve T. Mirkopoulos, of Aurora, Ont., to the board of directors of the Toronto Port Authority. "I am pleased that Mr. Mirkopoulos has agreed to serve on the board of the Toronto Port Authority," said Mr. Lapierre. "His extensive experience in engineering and management will serve him well in his new duties." Mr. Mirkopoulos holds a bachelor of applied science and engineering degree from the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario, the Toronto Board of Trade and the Building Owners & Managers Association International. He currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Cinespace Film Studios in Toronto. From 1985 until 1994 Mr. Mirkopoulos held the post of chief executive officer of Horizon General Contractors. Some of his previous positions include general manager of Torontario Mechanical and Electrical Contractors, and technical administrator of nuclear fuel contracts at Ontario Hydro. Mr. Mirkopoulos also serves on the boards of the York University Foundation as chair of the finance and audit committee, and of the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation as vice chair of the annual programs committee. The Toronto Port Authority is the Canada Port Authority (CPA) established to manage the Port of Toronto, effective June 8, 1999, under the Canada Marine Act. As a CPA, the Toronto Port Authority benefits from greater management flexibility, including increased freedom to develop contracts and borrow money from commercial lenders. The Port of Toronto, situated in the downtown core of Canada¿s largest city, provides transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses in the Greater Toronto Area, and serves as an important link to other ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. Immediate access to marine, highway and rail facilities makes the port a transportation hub for Ontario, northwestern Quebec, upstate New York and Ohio. In 2003, the port handled 622,000 tonnes of cargo. -30- Contact: Irène Marcheterre Director of Communications Office of the Minister, Ottawa (613) 991-0700 Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
