No. H116/04 For release November 30, 2004 OTTAWA - Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre today announced the appointment of John Craig, of Ladysmith, B.C., to the board of directors of the Nanaimo Port Authority. "Mr. Craig has many years of management experience in the transportation and real estate sectors," said Mr. Lapierre. "The board of the Nanaimo Port Authority will no doubt benefit from his skills as a negotiator, planner and policy developer as well as his vast corporate experience. I am very pleased that he has agreed to take on this responsibility." Mr. Craig currently serves as the president of J Craig Management Inc., in Edmonton, Alberta. He holds a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan. From 1995 to 2001, Mr. Craig served as the director of real estate services at the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority and from 1987 to 1996 he served as vice chairman of the authority. He has occupied executive positions as vice-president of development for several large real estate development companies. He continues to serve as a member of the board of the Nanaimo Airport Commission and the Ladysmith Economic Development Committee and is a past director of the Alberta Aviation Council. The Nanaimo Port Authority is the Canada Port Authority (CPA) established to manage the Port of Nanaimo, effective July 1, 1999, under the Canada Marine Act. As a CPA, the Nanaimo Port Authority benefits from greater management flexibility, including increased freedom to develop contracts and borrow money from commercial lenders. Nanaimo is a major entry point for vehicle transportation and cargo on Vancouver Island. In 2003, more than two million vehicles and 5.7 million passengers moved through the port. Total cargo traffic in 2003 was 19 million metric tonnes. The main imports were petroleum and forest products, while the main exports were lumber, pulp, and other related forest products. - 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.
