The Government of Canada invests in transportation infrastructure at
the Port of Thunder Bay
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.
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.
Quote
"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
• 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.
• 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.
Backgrounder
National Trade Corridors Fund
The $2 billion National Trade Corridors Fund is one component of the $180 billion Investing in Canada Plan, the Government of Canada's strategy for addressing long-term infrastructure needs
in Canada and supporting middle-class growth and well-paying jobs. The quality of Canada's transportation infrastructure and the efficiency of the country's trade corridors is key to the success of Canadian firms in the global marketplace.
The Government of Canada is providing support for well-functioning trade corridors that will allow Canadians to compete in key global markets and trade more efficiently with international partners. It
represents a long-term commitment by the Government of Canada to work with stakeholders on strategic infrastructure projects that help to address transportation bottlenecks, vulnerabilities and congestion
along Canada's trade corridors.
Marc Garneau Minister of Transport
“ The Port of Thunder Bay is an important economic driver for the region and an important port in terms of moving goods east or west. The National Trade corridors initiative was designed to help with this.
Our objective is to have a transportation system that delivers on time and efficiently.”
“Our trade relationship with the US is the largest in the world, 30,000 trucks cross borders each day and there is $2 billion in daily sales. This investment will help us deal with other countries such as Europe
and Asia. There is a great demand for Canadian products eg. grain,
potash or finished goods.”
Tim Heney, CEO Thunder Bay Port
“ We have been working on this project for 12 years now. It will include 8 more car spots, new rail lay down areas, rebuilding our rail yard and a new heated warehouse, building more capacity for shipments.
We are getting into pipe as well as steel shipments. Our imports are from Europe.”
“ Keefer was built in 1962 as a seasonal facility. Of our 550,000 square feet of warehouse space only about 80,000 is heated, so the new warehouse will help to attract new business, more value added work
such as more high tech like electronics.”
“The total cost of the expansion is $15 million. We have 150 jobs at Keefer Terminal and 40 directly in the marine industry.”
Patty Hajdu, Minister of Labour
“This is a great announcement and shows the quality of the proposal by the Port and Tim Heney to have the vision to apply for the money. When I was first elected I had an early conversation as to what the port
could need. It is about being sure we can deliver on time and create jobs. There is a short term boom with building and then longer term progress with the infrastructure.”
