March 1, 2007
Moncton, New Brunswick
Strengthening Atlantic Canada's transportation system could
lead to increased international trade and economic
development opportunities for both the Atlantic region and
the entire country, according to a new report released by
the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC)."The global economy is changing and our region has the
potential to benefit from these trends through our
transportation system," says David Chaundy, Senior
Economist at APEC who managed the report entitled The
Changing Global Economy: The Implications and Opportunities
for Transportation in Atlantic Canada.The report examines the current transportation system in
Atlantic Canada and outlines the potential for new
opportunities to take advantage of shifting global trade
patterns and global supply chain management."This report outlines how Atlantic ports and transportation
corridors may be well positioned to capture a larger share
of growing world trade," said the Honourable Peter MacKay,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). "Canada's New
Government understands the importance of international
trade to our country's economic performance and
competitiveness and will continue to work with partners to
identify new opportunities for increased trade that will
benefit Atlantic Canada and the country as a whole."The report looks at all manner of transportation, including
port, road, rail and air. However, its main focus is on an
Atlantic marine gateway for freight shipments, reflecting
the economic opportunities posed by growing international
container trade. The report states that the region must
develop an approach to investment and trade promotion that
takes advantage of the new global economy which demands
more reliable, faster and cheaper transportation routes to
large markets.The report also highlights that it will take cooperation
from a number of partners to position Atlantic Canada for
success. "Many stakeholders have an interest in the
development of an Atlantic gateway but its success will
depend upon their ability to work together with a clear
vision, commitment and coordinated action," adds Mr.
Chaundy.Financial assistance for this study was provided by ACOA
through the Atlantic Policy Research Initiative, a program
which assists in the analysis of economic issues in
Atlantic Canada. APEC is an independent, non-partisan
research and education institution. Its objective is to
promote the economic development of the Atlantic region of
Canada.The APEC report entitled The Changing Global Economy: The
Implications and Opportunities for Transportation in
Atlantic Canada is available on the APEC website at:
www.apec-econ.ca/
For more information, please contact:
David Chaundy
Senior Economist
Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC)
902-422-6516
Email: david.chaundy@apec-econ.ca
Rose May Gallant
Communications Officer
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
506-851-3034
Email: Rose-May.Gallant@acoa-apeca.gc.ca
