No. A009/04 For release November 19, 2004 CORNERBROOK, NL - Transport Canada has transferred the ownership of the port of Corner Brook to the Corner Brook Port Corporation (CBPC). This announcement was made today by the Honourable Gerry Byrne, MP (Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte), on behalf of Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, together with Corner Brook Port Corporation Chairperson Ray Pollett. "The management of this port is now in the hands of local people," said Mr. Byrne. "We know that the people of this community will work hard to make this a viable and growing port. They know what¿s best for Corner Brook." The transferred property includes the Corner Brook Container Terminal Wharf, a transit shed, an office building, approximately 3 hectares of upland property and the Port of Corner Brook harbour bed. The transfer agreement includes a financial contribution of $15,036,000 from the Government of Canada, to be used exclusively for operational and maintenance costs over the next 15 years. The port of Corner Brook is the second busiest in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the major port of entry for the western and central Newfoundland region. The facility is used for the transhipment of numerous commodities, including containers, salt, fish products, automobiles, paper products and cement. It is also used by cruise ships as well as federal government vessels. "As the new owner, the goal of the Corner Brook Port Corporation is to develop and promote the port in order to make it a viable and dynamic business entity", said Mr. Pollett. "This port can generate significant economic activity, employment and spin-off business for the whole of western Newfoundland." The CBPC is a not-for-profit local entity that has been established to promote the development of the Port of Corner Brook. Both community stakeholders and port users have expressed support in favour of CBPC becoming the owner of the port of Corner Brook. "The National Marine Policy enables ports to respond more effectively to the needs of their customers," said Mr. Lapierre. "The better use of transportation infrastructure in this manner will ultimately help increase trade, tourism and job creation. In July 2003, Transport Canada signed a Letter of Intent with the CBPC to initiate formal negotiations to transfer the ownership of the public port and public port facilities to the CBPC. The Port of Corner Brook is one of Transport Canada¿s Regional/Local ports, which range from large facilities that support significant local and regional commercial activity to very small facilities with little or no commercial traffic. Transport Canada¿s Port Divestiture Program was established in 1996 as part of the National Marine Policy, with the objective of transferring Regional/Local port sites to other interests. In some cases, ports are being transferred as operating ports; in other cases, Crown land and facilities are being transferred to interested parties for other uses. - 30 - Contact: Steve Bone Communications (902) 426-7795 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.
