Port Authority and City welcome Feds aboard the great Fairview adventure

Well it’s not every day that someone throws 28 million dollars your way to help make your project a success. So it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that both the Port Authority’s Don Krusel and the Mayor Herb Pond were rather happy to hear that the Federal Government has committed to funding the Border Services requirements for the Fairview Container Port, as well the Feds have committed to future road and rail infrastructure in the region which are related to the terminal.

The latest bit of financial backing from the government comes as a relief to the Port who feared that the Border Services and Canada Customs requirements might be charged back to the Port on a cost recovery basis. The money provided takes them off the hook for that and gives the Port cause to begin thinking beyond phase one and on to a quick expansion to take advantage of expected trade opportunities.

The Daily News examined the announcement and what it may be provided in the future in its Monday edition.

TORY’S $28 M FOR BORDER SERVICES THRILLS PORT BOSS
Don Krusel, Herb Pond say new cash will help to make port a success.
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, October 16, 2006
Pages One and Three

Both the city and the Port of Prince Rupert are pleased to see the federal government commit funding for the security required for the Fairview Container Terminal and hope future funding commitments will include Phase 2 of the port development.

The Conservative re-announcement of the federal contribution to the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative last week included $28 million of new money for border services at the new Fairview container handling facility as well as future commitments for road and rail infrastructure in the region connected to the terminal.

“We are pleased to see the commitment of $28 million from the federal government over four years to invest into Border Services at the Prince Rupert Port Authority, including the container examination facility and related services,” said Don Krusel, president of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. This commitment eliminates an earlier concern that the facility and Canada Customs services at the new terminal would be charged back to the Prince Rupert Port Authority on a “cost recovery” basis.

“There are fundamental building blocks that are required to make this successful and if they are missing, you aren’t in the business,” said Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond.

“The port could build the very best interchange, but if there is no customs clearance, there is no port.”

Krusel said he is optimistic that the creation of a $233.5 million “Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Transportation Infrastructure Fund” will result in improved road and rail connections throughout the northern transportation corridor to help with the smooth movement of goods and services through Prince Rupert, and between Asia and the North American Mid West.

Krusel is also looking to the new infrastructure fund to help support the construction of Phase 2 of the Fairview Container Port, which will increase throughput capacity to two million TEU’s (20 foot equivalent units) by its projected 2010 completion date.

“We wholeheartedly embrace both the goal and spirit of the Pacific Gateway Strategy to help increase Canada’s share of West Coast container traffic from nine to 14 per cent to seven million TEU’s by 202,” said Krusel. “With one of the deepest North American harbours that is at least a day closer to Asia than any other West Coast port, and almost unlimited capacity to expand, we are confident that Prince Rupert holds they key to opening the door to help Canada reclaim its role as a serious competitor and entrepreneurial leader in the world.”

The Port of Prince Rupert has a long term strategic plan, aligned with the Pacific Gateway Strategy, to increase container-handling capacity to four million TEU’s through two terminals by 2020.

Pond, who was in Vancouver for the announcement, said he was pleased to see the new government make the Gateway funding commitments.

“In some ways, it’s a repositioning of things that we have already talked about but it was significant in that it was this new government that was officially endorsing a plan to move forward and “he said. “The Prime Minister specifically talked about Prince Rupert and the Premier acknowledged very strongly that role of our port. I had a good opportunity to talk to David Emerson, to talk to the Prime Minister for a bit and thank him for not only the port initiative but their decision on Ridley Terminals. He smiled, and said that was the very first decision of his new government.”