The Government of Canada invests in transportation infrastructure at the Port of Thunder Bay
News release
July 3, 2018 Thunder Bay, Ontario Transport Canada
The quality of Canada’s transportation infrastructure and the efficiency of the country’s trade corridors are key to the success of Canadian firms in the global marketplace. The Government of Canada supports infrastructure projects that create quality middle-class jobs and boost economic growth.
Today, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced a major investment of $7.5 million for a project that will help businesses compete by moving goods to market, and by making improvements to port infrastructure.
The project involves adding tracks and laydown areas for cargo staging and transshipment to respond to increased demand, and building a 4,645 square metre multi-purpose heated facility to suit requirements of terminal users.
Once completed, this project will improve trade flow by easing capacity constraints and bottlenecks, and provide shippers with more options to meet their requirements. It will also increase the resilience of the transportation system to a changing climate and its adaptability to new technologies and future innovation.
The Government of Canada is supporting infrastructure projects that contribute most to Canada’s continued success in international trade. For example, projects being funded will:
- support economic activity and the physical movement of goods or people in Canada;
- help the transportation system withstand the effects of climate change and make sure it is able to support new technologies and innovation;
- address transportation bottlenecks and congestion along Canada’s trade corridors; and
- increase the fluidity of Canadian trade around the world through our ports, airports, roads, railways, intermodal facilities, bridges and border crossings.
Provincial, territorial and municipal governments, Indigenous groups, not-for-profit and for-profit private-sector organizations, federal Crown Corporations, Canadian Port Authorities, and National Airport System Airport Authorities are all eligible for funding under the National Trade Corridors Fund.
Quotes
“Our government is investing in Canada’s economy by making improvements to our trade and transportation corridors. We are supporting projects that will efficiently move commercial goods to market and people to their destinations, stimulate economic growth, create quality middle-class jobs, and ensure that Canada’s transportation networks remain competitive and efficient.”
The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport
“Transportation and distribution of goods are a vital part of our local, regional and national economies. The investment announced here today will make our transportation system stronger by addressing urgent capacity constraints at the Port of Thunder Bay and fostering long-term prosperity for our community.”
The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Superior North
“I am pleased that this important project is going ahead. The Port of Thunder Bay is a vital economic gateway that connects our city with the rest of North America, and ensuring that we develop strategies to increase the amount of goods that come through the Port will create more jobs and opportunities for people in our community”.
Don Rusnak
Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-—Rainy River
Quick facts
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Transportation is an important element of Canada’s trade with other countries. In 2017, total international merchandise trade amounted to $1.1 trillion. The United States continued to be Canada’s top trade partner, with $703 billion in trade ($415 billion exported, $288 billion imported), accounting for 63.5 per cent of total Canadian trade in 2017.
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The Government of Canada places a strong emphasis on exports because of the connection between trade and good, well-paying jobs, as industries that are export-intensive pay wages that are, on average, more than 50 per cent higher than industries that are not.
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Contacts
Delphine Denis
Office of the Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport, Ottawa
delphine.denis@tc.gc.ca
613-991-0700
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
media@tc.gc.ca
613-993-0055
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