Spring 2000

Improving Airport Safety... In April, Transport Minister David Collenette announced $1.9 million in federal funding for safety improvement projects at Cranbrook, Kamloops Fort St. John and Terrace airports. At Cranbrook the $1,300,200 funding is for upgrading the airfield lighting, new heavy airside mobile equipment and replacing security gates. At Kamloops the $299,300 funding is for a new airfield lighting system. At Fort St. John the $181,500 project involves upgrading the airfield lighting. At Terrace the $163,000 funding is for a new runway sweeper. The projects are part of TC’s Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) and all four airports are owned and operated locally. For information on ACAP contact: Jenny Low, Community Airports Officer, (604) 666-5417.

Airports Transferring... On March 31, Tofino airport was transferred from Transport Canada to the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. That brings the total to 26 B.C. airports transferred since 1995. Three B.C. airports remain to be transferred into local hands - Prince George, Penticton and Port Hardy. For more information contact: Cliff Rhodes, Regional Manager Property Services Airports, (604) 666-5390.

Kelowna Airport Keeps Climbing... In 1998 Kelowna airport was the 12th busiest airport in Canada, now the airport is number 11. A record 815,056 passengers passed through Kelowna Airport in 1999, as the airport passed Saskatoon to take over 11^th spot in the busiest standings. Making the top ten list will be tough, 10^th ranked Victoria serves over 1.1 million passengers a year.

Track Trends… Shortlines and mergers are the two latest trends in the railway business. As for shortlines, B.C. now has four rail companies hauling freight on short runs - the Kelowna Pacific Railway, the Okanagan Valley Railway, RailAmerica/ E&N Railway and the Southern Railway of B.C. On the passenger side, four excursion railways (short run) now operate in B.C. - the Okanagan Valley Wine Train, the White Pass and Yukon Route, the Royal Hudson Steam Train and the Pacific Wilderness Railway.

YVR Rapid Transit Link… Transport Canada’s recently completed study on Rail Access to Vancouver Airport recommends all levels of government work to promote separate right-of-way rail transit service in the Richmond - Vancouver corridor, with a connection to the Vancouver Airport. The study found if commuter and airport transit rider demand were combined it would justify a link to the airport. The study was done in co-operation with the Vancouver International Airport Authority to determine the requirements for a rapid transit link between downtown Vancouver and the airport. For more information contact: George Tyszewicz, Senior Policy Advisor, (604) 666-0480.

Tracking… In 1999, Rocky Mountaineer Railtours carried 70,000 passengers on their scenic rail tours from Vancouver to Jasper, Banff and Calgary. That’s an increase of almost 30 per cent over the 54,000 passengers they carried in 1998. This year, they expect a 15 per cent jump… Amtrak Pacific Northwest ridership has more than doubled in the past five years. The Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor extends 750 kilometres from Eugene, Ore. to Vancouver, BC. Amtrak estimates the service diverts more than 31 million miles of traffic from regional highways and prevents more than 700 tons of air pollution in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle to Vancouver service carried 85,000 passengers in 1999.

Port News… The Port of Prince Rupert handled its first shipment of slack wax in January. Over the next year the Port expects to see nearly 20,000 tonnes of the product moving through Prince Rupert. The slack wax, originating in Asia, is destined for Alberta where it is used in the production of oriented strand board (OSB)… Fraser Port set a record for cargo volume in 1999. Shipments through Fraser Port in 1999 reached a record 25,606,428 tonnes compared to the 1998 total of 23,811, 475 - that’s an eight per cent jump… In 1999, Port Vancouver’s containerized trade hit its highest level ever, as 1.07 million standard container units were shipped through the port’s three container terminals, a 27 per cent jump compared to 1998. Overall, Port Vancouver handled 71.2 million tonnes of cargo last year, down one per cent from 1998.

Less Ships Detained Under Port State Control Ship Inspection Program ... In 1999, 1381 foreign vessels visited Vancouver and 44 were detained by Transport Canada marine safety inspectors because they were in poor condition. That’s a drop of over 35 per cent compared to 1998 when there were 1523 visits and 70 vessels detained. Why the decline? Bill Nash, Regional Director Marine Safety, thinks it because Vancouver is getting a reputation as a tough port for ships in poor shape. "Our inspectors," said Nash, "are reporting that the ships coming into Vancouver are of better quality than they have been in the past. And that’s good news for everyone." For more information on Port State Control contact: John Yeung, Manager, Compliance and Enforcement, (604) 666-9179.

A Must Read… Moving Forward, A Guide on the Importance of Transportation in Canada, has just been published by the Western Transportation Advisory Council (WESTAC) and the Van Horne Institute. This landmark publication is a comprehensive guide aimed at Canadians unfamiliar with our transportation system. It describes the critical role transportation plays in the continued development of the economy. It points out that roughly 50 per cent of the economy (GDP)—from manufacturing to tourism—depends on transportation. Sponsored by Transport Canada, other government agencies, the private sector and labour unions, the guide is available on WESTAC’s website (www.westac.com) or can be ordered by calling WESTAC’s office at (604)-687-8691.

Transport Trends is published by Transport Canada’s Pacific Region to keep our clients and stakeholders up-to-date on transportation activities and trends in B.C. Questions or suggestions please phone (604) 666-1675, fax (604) 666-7255, e-mail nelsoro@tc.gc.ca.

TP 12780E