Government funding to help strengthen and broaden cargo services at Port Saint John

News Release

Saint John, New Brunswick - July 12, 2016

The governments of Canada and New Brunswick are committed to supporting Atlantic and Canadian businesses and building a vibrant economic future for the middle class while addressing regional challenges. This is why the federal and provincial governments are providing more than $136 million in funding to modernize Port Saint John's Westside terminals.

The funding was announced today by the Honourable Brian Gallant, Premier of New Brunswick, and the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Member of Parliament for Beauséjour, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. The Honourable Ed Doherty, New Brunswick Minister of Service, on behalf of the Honourable Donald Arseneault, Minister Responsible for the Regional Development Corporation, also participated in the announcement along with Wayne Long, Member of Parliament for Saint John–Rothesay, and Peter Gaulton, Chairman of Port Saint John.

This project involves upgrading and consolidating the Rodney and Navy Island terminals to allow the Port to accommodate larger vessels. New operational systems and technology will also be installed to enhance cargo-handling capabilities.

Once complete, the work will help ensure the port can support growth and meet increasing demand, reinforcing its status as a global shipping link while stimulating economic activity and development at the local, regional and national level. This important project builds on Canada's commitment to drive economic growth in Atlantic Canada through trade and investment, as announced last week in Prince Edward Island as part of the Atlantic Growth Strategy.

Port Saint John is a year-round, deep water port that handles an average of 28 million tonnes of diverse cargo annually. With global connections to more than 350 ports around the world, it is a major facilitator of trade and part of Canada's Atlantic Gateway to global marine markets. It also harbours cruise ships in the Canada–New England market.

The total estimated cost of this project is $205 million, with $68.3 million coming from the Government of Canada through the New Building Canada Fund's National Infrastructure Component, and $68.3 million coming from the Province of New Brunswick. Port Saint John is responsible for the remainder of the project costs.

Quotes

"The provincial and federal investment in the Port of Saint John will create thousands of jobs. It will also help ensure that New Brunswick businesses are able to export and import competitively."

The Honourable Brian Gallant, Premier of New Brunswick

"We are making investments that will improve the quality of life for our middle class now while building a strong foundation for the sustainable economy of the future. These improvements at Port Saint John will provide the people and businesses of New Brunswick with new economic opportunities and create good and well-paying jobs. It's thanks to projects like this that we will build 21st-century communities and ensure a high quality of life for generations to come."

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Member of Parliament for Beauséjour, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Thanks to the strong relationship between our government and the Trudeau government, we can work together to support projects such as the Port of Saint John, which will help strengthen economic growth for the Port City, the Fundy region and our province."

The Honourable Ed Doherty, New Brunswick Minister of Service, on behalf of the Honourable Donald Arseneault, New Brunswick Minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation

"Our Board and Management team, together with our port stakeholder community, have been working on the West Side Modernization file for the past five years. Today we are officially able to move forward with a Project that not only makes business sense for the Port community today but also the future generations of port users. We are pleased that the Governments of New Brunswick and Canada are joining with us on this generational investment that will further solidify the position Port Saint John holds as one of our nation's leading international seaports, providing vital stimulus for regional and national economies."

Peter Gaulton, Chairman of Port Saint John

Associated Links

Contacts

Brook Simpson
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
613-219-0149
Brook.Simpson@Canada.ca

Bruce Macfarlane
Communications
Regional Development Corporation
506-444-4583
bruce.macfarlane@gnb.ca

Paula Copeland
Manager of Corporate Communications
Port Saint John
506-650-5288
pcopeland@sjport.com

Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154
Email: media@infc.gc.ca
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Web site: Infrastructure Canada


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