British Columbia ports talking single port authority
The leaders of the Lower Mainlands three gateway ports confirmed Friday that progress continues to be made toward the development of a single Canada Port Authority to manage marine and intermodal trade through southern British Columbia.
The chairs, board members and chief executive officers of the Vancouver Port Authority, Fraser River Port Authority and North Fraser Port Authority have held discussions about the formation of a new integrated port authority since July 2006, at the request of the federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon. The three ports said today that a comprehensive business case for the proposed merger would be presented well ahead of its year-end target completion date.
“We have long believed that Canada as a trading nation has a great deal to gain by encouraging greater planning and operational coordination among its major gateway ports in British Columbia,” said George Adams, Vancouver Port Authority chairman, in a statement. “As we explore the issues and opportunities more fully with our colleagues at Fraser River Port and North Fraser Port, the benefits of a more collaborative and cohesive strategy for managing southern B.C.’s port assets have become even clearer.”
Officials from all three ports agree that a single port authority has the potential to capture an even larger share of North America’s rapidly expanding trade with Asia Pacific economies, as well as creating efficiencies for port users and Canadian businesses.