Northwest corridor sees infrastructure boost from federal/provincial funding

Last week the federal government announced a plan to refurbish or replace many of the 12,000 rail cars that haul grain from the prairies to west coast grain terminals including Prince Rupert Grain.

It was just one of many projects currently underway to make transiting the Northwest corridor much more efficient.

Heaping on some of the praise of the new initiatives was Cariboo-Prince George MP Dick Harris, who trotted out the Canada’s New Government slogan while trumpeting the developments in his riding.

While it’s all well and good to pat yourself and your partners on the back, it being the nature of politics. It might be time to retire the “new government” slogan, surely there’s a statute of limitations on when a government elected in January of 2006 can still refer to itself as “new”.

The Daily News featured a number of the different initiatives in a front page story in Tuesday’s paper.

TWINNED BRIDGE, UPGRADED GRAIN RAIL CARS BOOST

By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Pages one and three

The federal government announced three initiatives late last week that will improve the flow of trade along the Northwestern corridor.

On Friday, the federal government reached an agreement with the CN and CP Rail companies to refurbish the fleet of hopper rail cars that move grain from the prairies to grain terminals in Prince Rupert and Vancouver.

The government owns the 12,000 railcars that are used by the railway companies at no cost to move grain. However, it is the railway companies that manage, maintain and operate the cars on a daily basis.

Under the agreement, the rail companies will refurbish the cars when they need it and replace the cars as they are retired.

Jean-Jacques Ruest, senior vice-president of marketing for CN, said the company is pleased to have reached this new agreement with the government.

“The key to reducing costs and improving service to all grain industry participants lies in velocity – moving more grain through faster car cycling. This agreement allows CN the needed flexibility to continue this focus,” said Ruest.

Both the federal and provincial governments also announced financial contributions to the twinning of the Simon Fraser Bridge in Prince George in order to relieve traffic congestion and enhance the efficient delivery of goods between the Port of Prince Rupert container facility and the soon-to-be constructed Prince George Inland Container Terminal.

“The interior of British Columbia is growing at a rapid rate and our infrastructure needs to grow with it,” said Dick Harris, Cariboo-Prince George MP. “That’s why I am so proud of Canada’s New Government for the leadership it has shown in supporting this project. This is a great day for Prince George and a great day for Northern British Columbia.”

The federal government will contribute $18 million to the $44 million project, though Asia Pacific Corridor Initiative funds designed to help alleviate the economic devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle.

The twinning of the bridge is expected to be completed by August 2009.

Finally, the federal and provincial government announced they will contribute up to $1.05 million for highway improvements near Vanderhoof, including an 2 –km auxillary passing lane, and intersection improvements on Highway 16, approximately 68 km east of Vanderhoof.

Highway 16 is the only direct link of the National highway System to the Asia-Pacific Region through the port of Prince Rupert and is also the primary east/west route through Northern B. C. It links communities to Prince George and lies in the heart of pine beetle impacted forests, noted Dick Harris, Cariboo Prince George MP.