WINNIPEG — Candice Bergen, Member of Parliament for Portage—Lisgar, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, today announced funding to improve infrastructure at the Emerson Border Crossing. This announcement follows through on commitments in the Beyond the Border Action Plan announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama in December 2011.
“A more efficient Emerson border crossing will facilitate trade and travel, while creating jobs and supporting growth and prosperity for Manitoba,” said MP Bergen. “Our government is investing up to $10 million for infrastructure upgrades, including improvements to the Canada Border Services Agency inspection facility, aimed at reducing wait times and alleviating traffic congestion.”
The Emerson Border Crossing operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week and is the main Canada-U.S. border crossing in Manitoba with almost $19 billion in two-way trade in 2012. Emerson is also an important border crossing for travellers with over 300,000 passenger vehicles passing through this point of entry in 2012.
“Modern border infrastructure is essential to keeping trade moving and our economy on the right track,” added MP Bergen. “With the new Building Canada plan, we are delivering the largest investment in infrastructure in Canadian history through Economic Action Plan 2013 – investments that create jobs, economic growth, and provide a high quality of life for families in every city and community across the country.”
The Government of Canada allocated new funding for the Emerson improvements in Economic Action Plan 2012. Funding will flow through the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund.
The $2.1-billion Gateways and Border Crossings Fund (GBCF) is a program used to improve the flow of goods and people between Canada and the rest of the world. GBCF infrastructure funding targets projects that increase the productivity and efficiency of strategic transportation assets of national significance, such as bridges, roads and ports, which are part of international gateways, strategic trade corridors and key land border crossings.
This initiative adds to the government’s unprecedented investments in infrastructure, announced in Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2013. The government is delivering the new Building Canada plan to construct roads, bridges, subways, commuter rail, and other public infrastructure in cooperation with provinces, territories, and municipalities. Combined with other federal infrastructure investments, it supports Canada’s infrastructure advantage, a key enabler of economic growth and job creation. Since 2006, the federal government has made unprecedented investments in over 43,000 projects to build roads, bridges, commuter rail and other important public infrastructure.
The project is among key border crossings identified in the Beyond the Border Action Plan which was established with the United States to enhance our mutual security, prosperity and economic competitiveness. The action plan focuses on four areas: addressing threats early; facilitating trade, economic growth and jobs; integrating cross border law enforcement; and strengthening critical infrastructure and cyber security.
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Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
Ottawa
613-991-0700
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
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