No. GC003/06
For release March 31, 2006

INTERNATIONAL TRADE MINISTER
DAVID EMERSON CONTINUES DIALOGUE
WITH PACIFIC GATEWAY STAKEHOLDERS

VANCOUVER — The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, met today in Vancouver with representatives of the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council.

Minister Emerson joined council members for a two-hour working session, following a comprehensive tour of the lower mainland component of the Pacific Gateway Region, as part of the federal government's commitment to ongoing consultation with key private-sector and government stakeholders in the West.

"In an era of seamless global supply chains, our success in international commerce depends more than ever on efficient transportation systems and trade promotion strategies that build on our advantages in geography and transportation," Minister Emerson said. "I am committed to moving forward with the federal government's Pacific Gateway Initiative as we continue meaningful discussions like today's."

"We are making progress by working with British Columbia and other Western provinces, with the private sector and with regional and municipal levels of government to strengthen Canada's growing capacity for global competitiveness," the Minister added.

Captain Gordon Houston, President and CEO of the Vancouver Port Authority and chair of the gateway council, welcomed active and ongoing dialogue with the Minister on the Pacific Gateway Initiative.

"Our challenge as the Pacific Gateway region — and as a country — is to focus on issues of improved efficiency of the whole transportation system, new infrastructure projects and closely related security, trade, investment and environmental issues," Capt. Houston said. "We are encouraged, through our discussions today with the Minister, by his commitment to this file and by the importance his government attaches to helping us meet those challenges."

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