No. ON 002/07
For release February 12, 2007
PARRY SOUND, ON -- Transport Canada today announced the transfer of ownership
of the Port of Parry Sound-Smelter Street Wharf Facility to The Corporation of
the Town of Parry Sound.
Under the transfer agreement, The Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound
acquired the site from Transport Canada for a sale price of $400,000, and is
subject to operating conditions including the facility's continued operation as
a public port for a two-year period. The transferred property consists of 1.7
hectares including a small waterlot, a wharf used mainly for the storage of salt
and a boat ramp used by local residents and tourists.
The Port of Parry Sound 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. The Smelter Street Wharf was constructed in 1914 and was expanded to
its present configuration in 1965. Today, the Smelter Street Wharf Facility is
mainly used for the loading, unloading and storage of salt for the Facility's
primary tenant Sifto Canada. The Town of Parry Sound is recognized as the
economic hub of and gateway to Georgian Bay.
The Port Divestiture Program is an initiative under the National Marine Policy.
The policy aims to reduce overcapacity and improve efficiency of the port system
in Canada, and has established three categories of ports: Canada Port
Authorities, regional/local ports and remote ports. The Port Divestiture Program
was established as a means to transfer regional/local ports to local ownership
and control. Transport Canada's Port Divestiture Program expired on March 31,
2006. In August 2006, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
announced the extension of Transport Canada's Port Divestiture Program until
March 31, 2007.
Transport Canada will continue to own and operate certain designated remote
ports unless local groups express an interest in discussing divestiture.
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Contact(s):
Paula Fairfax
A/Regional Director, Communications
Transport Canada, Ontario Region
416-952-0154
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa
613-991-0700
Steven Gilchrist
Director, Finance and Administration
The Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound
705-746-2101
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.
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