Prince Rupert expansion project to get C$60 million government boost
The port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia is set to receive $C60 million ($48 million) from the Canadian government and the Province of British Columbia to create a second container terminal on the Canadian West Coast.
The government of Canada said Thursday it intends to invest C$30 million ($24 million) for port expansion. Province of British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell said the province will match the federal funding. On top of this, Canadian National Railway Co. previously agreed to contribute C$15 million ($12 million) for the proposed Prince Rupert project while Maher Terminals Inc. of New Jersey has pledged to invest a minimum of C$60 million.
“As Canada’s only Pacific province, we have the potential to almost double our share of West Coast container traffic and create up to 45 000 new maritime jobs over the next 15 years — and the expansion of the Port of Prince Rupert will play a critical role in that,” said Campbell.