The Gateway seaports are national strategic assets that must be kept strong, growing and competitive to facilitate Canada’s economic and trade development agenda.

To achieve this, the Canada Marine Act must provide Canadian Port Authorities with the tools they require to access the capital necessary for land and infrastructure development, to lower the cost of capital borrowing and to optimize the efficiency of port management.

Seaport security is a critical national issue. New procedures, new equipment and training are providing a secure operating environment for Canada’s Gateway trade. Smooth flows of cargo to and from the seaports across national borders is essential for competitive Gateway operations. Practical approaches to meet evolving border security requirements require the full engagement of Federal resources to ensure implementation in a timely and effective manner.

Both Federal and Provincial Governments must address the funding needs of Municipalities to assist them in addressing increased costs associated with aging infrastructure, population growth and congestion. The Gateway Council is supportive of exploring possible mechanisms, other than property taxation, that would provide municipalities with a share of increased tax revenues attributable to expansion of existing transportation facilities. We believe that detailed research and analysis should be undertaken in an effort to define alternative approaches to transportation taxation that would provide municipalities with a direct stake in Gateway success.