VANCOUVER — Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced funding to enhance Vancouver’s South Shore Trade Area, an investment that will improve rail, port and trucking operations, as well as create jobs for the Greater Vancouver region and help to increase mobility throughout the city. The Harper Government will partner with Port Metro Vancouver, the City of Vancouver, Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National to fund the infrastructure projects.
“The South Shore Trade Area is essential to the trade that flows between Western Canada and our Pacific trading partners,” said the Prime Minister. “These improvements along Burrard Inlet will create jobs for Canadians and increase the efficiency of Canada’s Pacific Gateway, ensuring that we are well-positioned to meet the needs of our trading agreements.”
In 2008, the South Shore Trade Area processed approximately 29 million metric tons of goods and is expected to process 32 million in 2010. The benefits of this strategic investment will not only improve operations there, but will also extend to grain producers as well as importers and exporters throughout Canada.
The Harper Government will contribute up to $49.7 million of the $125 million investment. Over the past three years, the government has committed almost $1 billion to the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative.
For more information about Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, please visit http://www.pacificgateway.gc.ca.
Backgrounder
HARPER GOVERNMENT AND PARTNERS ANNOUNCE FUNDING FOR SOUTH SHORE TRADE AREA
The South Shore Trade Area is an important import and export gateway and provides a critical connection to markets overseas. Improvements to transportation infrastructure will enable the South Shore Trade Area to meet import and export demands in the near, medium and long term, while increasing the capacity and efficiency of port, rail and trucking operations.
In this context, the Harper Government has been working with various public and private stakeholders on the South Shore Trade Area Study, which was completed in March 2009. The findings of this study were used as the basis for the development of an implementation plan for two infrastructure projects along Burrard Inlet on the South Shore.
The Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative is a network of transportation infrastructure including British Columbia'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 North America and is focussed on strengthening trade ties with the Asia-Pacific region.
Canada is one of the most trade-dependent economies among the G8 nations. The benefits of the federal government's contributions to the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative projects will extend nationally as they directly support increased international trade between all of Canada and Asia-Pacific countries, including China and Japan, serving to make the import and export supply chains more reliable and efficient.
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS BEING ADVANCED
Project: Powell Street Grade Separation
Location: City of Vancouver
Approximate Project Cost: $50 million
Delivery Agency: City of Vancouver
Description: This project eliminates a busy at-grade road/rail crossing between Powell Street and the railway network that serves the South Shore Trade Area. This is a major road in the City of Vancouver with significant transit, pedestrian, cyclist and vehicular traffic.
Project: Stewart Street Elevated Structure
Location: Port Metro Vancouver
Approximate Project Cost: $75 million
Delivery Agency: Port Metro Vancouver
Description: This project will provide a reliable and continuous road connection through the port area and will grade-separate ten at-grade road/rail crossings, improving rail and road access to the terminals in this area, enabling longer trains and more efficient rail operations as well as shorter wait times for trucks and other vehicles.
These two projects will enhance truck, rail and port operations; accommodate anticipated growth in rail and road traffic while providing local quality of life and environmental benefits, including:
- improved and safer access to terminal facilities for commercial traffic
- more efficient rail operations and capacity to accommodate anticipated trade growth
- more efficient and reliable movements of grain traffic for Canadian exporters who use South Shore terminals
- improved flow of import and export container traffic to and from container terminals
- reduced congestion and increased safety on the local road network
- increased employment on the South Shore and throughout the Lower Mainland
- enhanced access to emergency service providers (police, fire, ambulance)
- improved livability for residents with the construction of pedestrian and cycling facilities and
- safer conditions for cyclists and pedestrians and increased overall road safety and traffic management
FUNDING CONTRIBUTIONS AND ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS
The following parties are collectively contributing $125 million to the two projects:
- Transport Canada — up to $49.7 million
- Port Metro Vancouver — $56.0 million (on its behalf and on behalf of some terminal operators)
- City of Vancouver — $7.5 million
- Canadian Pacific— $9.8 million
- Canadian National — $2.0 million
The contributions for the projects are subject to a number of conditions and requirements, including but not limited to the following:
- Federal Treasury Board approvals
- funding and budgetary appropriations
- acceptance of engineering standards and designs and confirmation of requisite railway approvals
- environmental assessment approvals
- any other policy, statutory and regulatory requirements and approvals
SOUTH SHORE TERMINAL OPERATORS
The South Shore comprises several waterfront industries, such as Ballantyne Pier, West Coast Reduction, Lantic Inc (Rogers Sugar) and Lafarge, which all contribute to the economic vitality of the South Shore. The terminal operators that will benefit most from investments in improved infrastructure are:
Name: DP World (Centerm)
Major Commodities Handled: Containers
Web Site: www.dpworld.com
Name: Alliance Grain
Major Commodities Handled: Grain products
Web Site: Not Available
Name: Terminal System Incorporated (Vanterm)
Major Commodities Handled: Containers
Web Site: www.tsi.bc.ca
Name: Viterra
Major Commodities Handled: Grain products
Web Site: www.viterra.ca
Name: Marco Containers
Major Commodities Handled: Empty Container Storage Yard
Web Site: www.marcocontainer.com
