No. H 101/07
For release May 30, 2007
OTTAWA — The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, today announced amendments to the Port
Authorities Management Regulations.
The amendments provide a process for two or more Canada Port Authorities (CPAs)
to amalgamate and continue as one integrated
CPA.
"Amalgamation presents an opportunity to make Canada Port Authorities more
modern, efficient, competitive and responsive to emerging global opportunities
and challenges," said Minister Cannon. "A perfect example is the integration of
the port authorities of Vancouver, Fraser River, and North Fraser in the Lower
Mainland of British Columbia, which has been identified as a key policy measure
under the federal government's Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative."
The 19 CPAs that make up the national system of ports are of strategic
importance to Canada's trade. They are non-share capital corporations that were
incorporated under the 1998 Canada Marine Act (CMA) and mandated to
operate in the public interest, according to business principles.
In 2003, the CMA Review report was tabled in Parliament. The statutory
five-year review of the Act provided stakeholders with an opportunity to present
their views on the CMA as well as on the overall functioning of the marine
sector. The report suggested that changes were needed to achieve the goals of
the CMA, particularly as they related to promoting and safeguarding Canada's
competitiveness and trade obligations. One broadly supported recommendation was
that CPAs be permitted to amalgamate.
The changes were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on May 30,
2007.
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Contacts:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities,
Ottawa
613-991-0700Anne-Marie Bouchard
Communications
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
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