H005/10
For release - January 18, 2010
Photo(s)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today announced that three new state-of-the-art dockside gantry cranes for the Third Berth at Deltaport in Vancouver, British Columbia, are now operating. This new world-class facility will significantly improve the region's rail, port and trucking operations.
"The startup of these new cranes will facilitate and improve the transportation of goods between Asia and North America. The Third Berth at Deltaport will also boast the first container terminal in North and South America to use dual–hoist cranes that are capable of lifting 80 tonnes," said Minister Day. "This announcement demonstrates how our government contributes to the ongoing effort of the Asia–Pacific Gateway to foster business growth, create jobs and help attract foreign investments."
Terminal System Inc. — the operator of Deltaport — currently has a capacity of 1.2 million TEUs, or "twenty–foot equivalents," per year. This means that there are 20–foot long intermodal containers that can be easily transferred between ships, trains and trucks. The third berth will:
- increase goods and services purchased south of the Fraser River by 50 per cent — about $20.4 million; and
- increase property tax to Delta by $1.4 million to approximately $4.0 million, or equivalent to more than 1,300 households in Delta.
"Such investments by Port Metro Vancouver will help give us the port capacity we need to meet projected container demand," added Minister Day.
Coupled with the Government of Canada's ambitious trade agenda, the Asia–Pacific Gateway is a key driver of Canada's economic prosperity. It also helps position Canada as a destination of choice for foreign investment, resulting in increased trade volumes with the Asia–Pacific Region.
– 30 –
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities.
For more information, visit the following websites:
Pacific Gateway
www.pacificgateway.gc.ca/
Invest in Canada
www.investincanada.gc.ca
Deltaport 3rd Berth Project
www.delta3berthinfo.org/
Canada Border Services Agency
www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/ddr-red/
Border Information Service
www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/bis-sif-eng.html
Western Economic Diversification
www.wd.gc.ca/eng/home.asp
The Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor is a network of transportation infrastructure, including B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Prince Rupert ports; their principal road and rail connections stretching across Western Canada and south to the United States; key border crossings; and major Canadian airports.
The network serves all of Canada, and the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative (APGCI) aims to take advantage of Canada’s strategic location at the crossroads between the North American marketplace and the booming economies of Asia.
On October 11, 2006, Prime Minister Harper announced the APGCI with an initial investment of
$591 million. A further commitment of $410 million was made in Budget 2007, bringing total federal funding for the Initiative to more than $1 billion.
The APGCI is a long-term effort, focusing on infrastructure, policy, governance and operational issues together in one multimodal, system-based, public-private strategy.
The Government of Canada’s contributions to APGCI projects will improve the transportation system by:
- increasing transportation capacity;
- reducing congestion at key locations for Asia-Pacific trade;
- improving connections between modes; and
- enhancing its efficiency, safety and security.
The Government of Canada’s investments will continue to promote increased investments by the private sector and other public-sector partners to ensure efficient and seamless connections between the various modes of transportation, and improve traffic flows for international cargo.
January 2010
