Vancouver: Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) President & CEO Captain Gordon Houston today called upon the leadership of gateway ports throughout B.C. to come together to develop a comprehensive and integrated ports strategy for the province.

"Today in the province of British Columbia, each of our independent port authorities is developing strategies, building new facilities, encouraging private sector investment and trying to attract new business customers," he said. "But none of these efforts are coordinated.

"I believe we must utilize our ports and other transportation assets in British Columbia in a strategic and coordinated way to ensure that we capture the greatest possible share of future growth in Pacific Rim trade for our province and our country."

In a speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade, Houston said B.C. ports and the communities they serve have a tremendous opportunity over the next 10 to 15 years to capitalize on forecasted growth in trade with China and other Asia Pacific nations. He said transportation stands to be the next great growth industry in British Columbia, generating billions of dollars in investment and tens of thousands of new jobs.

"But to realize this opportunity, we have to work together," Houston said. "In many cases we are competing with one another, rather than working together to strategically develop and market our ports to maximize the share of North American trade that flows through B.C."

Houston recently returned from a trade mission to China with Premier Gordon Campbell and other public and private sector leaders from B.C. He noted that China accounted for 60 per cent of the world's export growth last year and will lead the world in economic and trade expansion for years to come.

The VPA has successfully developed business relationships in China over the past 10 years, since establishing a sales office in Beijing in 1993. Today China is the Port of Vancouver's second largest trading partner by volume, and its largest partner in the rapidly expanding container trade.

"We have an opportunity to become the central hub for China's burgeoning trade with North America," he said. "And it's not just the Port of Vancouver that will benefit. The ports of Prince Rupert, Kitimat, Squamish and Fraser Port all have an opportunity to develop new business, new jobs and new economic activity for the regions they serve."

Houston said the B.C. government has initiated a process to develop a comprehensive and integrated ports strategy for the province. He said the VPA will contribute its considerable resources, expertise and international market contacts to inform the province's strategy, and he encouraged other B.C. ports to do the same.

"I believe it's time to discuss a new partnership model for B.C. ports," he said. "We must forge an alliance, a new joint management system, that will ensure all of our efforts are directed at building a bigger and more competitive transportation sector in British Columbia."

For more information, please contact:

Anne McMullin,
Director, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Vancouver Port Authority
(604) 665-9069 (office)
(604) 665-9073 (fax)
(604) 218-1403 (cellular)
anne.mcmullin@portvancouver.com

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