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March 17, 2008 The Southern New Brunswick Gateway Council has received its Letters Patent and is now formally incorporated under the Companies Act of the Province of New Brunswick. Joining the Port Authority as Founding Members are the Greater Moncton International Airport, Irving Oil Limited, Logistec Stevedoring and the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan.
The Southern New Brunswick Gateway Council will cover the transportation corridor from Moncton to St. Stephen with all modes of transportation and the three levels of government being represented.
A gateway is defined as a system of marine, road, rail and air transportation infrastructure of national significance for international commerce within a defined geographic zone.
As part of its National Policy Framework for Strategic Gateways and Trade Corridors, the Federal Government allocated $2.1 billion to a “Gateways and Border Crossings Fund.”
The National Policy Framework is intended to guide the development of new gateway strategies and investments from the Gateways and Border Crossing Fund with a priority on the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor and the Atlantic Gateway.
The New Brunswick initiative was spearheaded by the Saint John Port Authority, which engaged InterVistas Consulting Inc. of Vancouver to carry out consultations with stakeholders, facilitate a workshop and develop a start-up plan for the Council, resulting in an investment of over $120,000 in this project to date. The Southern New Brunswick Gateway Initiative is modeled on other Gateway Councils across Canada including Vancouver, Hamilton and Halifax.
Following over fifty consultations, an stakeholders workshop was held on December 11, 2007 and was well attended. There was clear support for a Gateway Council, along with consensus on the critical elements of the new entity.
“The inauguration of the Southern New Brunswick Gateway Council is very timely,” said Captain Al Soppitt, President & CEO of the Saint John Port Authority, “ particularly in light of recent announcements coming out of Nova Scotia. The Council will play an important role in bringing forward regional priorities and issues to the Atlantic Gateway table” he said,” The Southern New Brunswick corridor is a vital component of the transportation system in Atlantic Canada and will play an important role in bringing forward regional priorities to the Atlantic Gateway table,” he continued. “By establishing the Gateway Council, we will quickly bring a unified approach to improving the competitiveness and efficiency of the transportation of goods and people through our region and promote awareness of trade, tourism and the transportation system as part of the Atlantic Gateway. Through our efforts and with the help of our consultants InterVISTAS Consulting Inc, we now have a start-up plan and significant buy-in from stakeholders.
Incorporation is the first step in making the Council a reality and an initial meeting of the Council will be scheduled within the next two weeks, following an organizing meeting of the Founding Members to be held on April 4th.”
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For More Information, contact:
Bill Eaton
Public Relations
Saint John Port Authority
506-636-4674
beaton@sjport.com
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