CANADIAN GOVERNMENT BOOSTS SHORTSEA SHIPPING

By David Hughes
Published: Mon, 8 September 2008

AS part of its use of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative Transportation Infrastructure Fund the Canadian government is is to put C$20.9m (USW$19.7m) into five shortsea shipping projects and two road projects in the British Columbia Lower Mainland. According to an official statement this represents a potential C$43.5m joint investment with private sector transportation service providers and municipalities in the region.

Government minster James Moore said: "These projects will enhance transportation infrastructure safety and efficiency related to the movement of international trade through Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway, and improve traffic flow in the Lower Mainland." The projects are intended to establish a network of complementary shortsea shipping services in the Lower Mainland that will contribute to the integrated and efficient movement of international trade. It is expected that they will help reduce road congestion between river terminals and deep-sea terminals, increase throughput capacity at marine terminals, develop new transportation options, and increase overall system capacity for trade between Asia and North America.

"By investing in shortsea shipping infrastructure projects for the first time, the federal government is demonstrating its support for shortsea shipping as a way of optimizing the use of the transportation system for the movement of goods," transport minister Lawrence Cannon.