Building Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

Thank you, David (Emerson), for your kind introduction.

Greetings to Minister (Lawrence) Cannon and Premier (Gordon) Campbell.

And thank you to our host, Captain Gordon Houston, President and CEO of the Port of Vancouver.

Greetings also to the consuls representing Canada’s trading partners in the Pacific region.

And to all the provincial government and industry officials who are with us.

I know some of you have travelled considerable distances to get here.  Thank you for coming.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This is truly an historic day, one that will pay dividends in the decades to come for Vancouver, for British Columbia and for Canada as a whole.

Out that door, across Burrard Inlet and Georgia Strait and beyond Vancouver Island and the Pacific Ocean, lies a key contributor to our economic destiny.

The emerging titans of the world economy – China, Japan, South Korea, India and Indonesia – represent many of the markets of tomorrow for Canada.

Our country is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the spectacular growth that is occurring in the Asia-Pacific region.

Our fundamental competitive advantage is geography.

Our major west coast ports are much closer to the main commercial ports of Asia than most of the American ports we compete with.

Shanghai, for example, is nearly two days closer to Vancouver than Los Angeles for the fastest container ships.

Prince Rupert is at least three days closer.

Yet in spite of this advantage, and the huge cost savings it represents for shippers, Canada today only handles 9% of West Coast container traffic.

And even though we have excellent rail, road and air links from the coast to most major markets in the United States, only 9% of our current container traffic serves U.S. markets.

That is just not good enough.

Canada should be the crossroads between the massive economy of the United States and the burgeoning economies of Asia.

We can and we must do better.

That’s why Canada’s new government is announcing today that we are moving ahead immediately with the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor initiative.

This is a massive undertaking. It is a collaborative effort involving all levels of government and the private sector.

The governments of all four western provinces – which are all represented here today – will be our key partners in this national enterprise.

I think everyone here has been waiting a long time for this day.

So we are taking action right now to launch 12 separate infrastructure, transportation technology and border security projects.

These projects span the length and breadth of the Gateway with five key areas of investment focus:
 
First, all the major commercial ports, from Rupert to Roberts Bank will see major expansions and improvements.

Second, bridges and roads linking the ports to the national and trans-national highway systems will be built or upgraded.

Third, there will be further twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park;

Four, a new container security screening facility will be installed at the Port of Prince Rupert;

And finally, a high-tech traffic management system will be developed for the Lower Mainland that will move containers into and out of port terminals faster and more efficiently.

The private sector has committed over $3 billion to Gateway- and Corridor-related capital investment between 2004 and 2010.

As a result of our combined efforts, total container throughput capacity at our Pacific ports is projected to rise from $2 million a year today to $7 million by 2020.

This would boost Canada’s share of the West Coast container market to 14% - and vastly increase the volume of U.S. container traffic through Canada.

What I have announced today, ladies and gentlemen, is only a beginning.

Improving our international transportation and trade links will lead to more business opportunities and jobs for British Columbians and all Canadians.

It will also help us reclaim Canada’s role as a serious competitor and entrepreneurial leader in the world.

I firmly believe the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor initiative will carry us a long way toward that goal.

Thank you. And I will take your questions.