B.C. Premier Says Canada Needs to Invest More to Improve Asia-Pacific Trade

By TOBI COHEN

TORONTO (CP) – The world has “shifted to the Pacific,” and it’s time for all Canadians to reap the benefits of greater trade with the region, B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said Monday.

In a speech to the Empire Club of Canada in Toronto, Campbell praised last week’s $591-million commitment from Ottawa to the Asia-Pacific Gateway strategy to improve B.C. ports, highways and railways, but said more is needed if Canada is to keep pace with skyrocketing growth in trade.

“The Pacific is central to Canada’s ability to compete and prosper in the century ahead, and yet for most Canadians, the Pacific is an afterthought,” he said.

“We can either sit by and watch as North American growth in Pacific trade flows through American ports and airports and American cities to American citizens, or we can take advantage of our strategic location as the closest Pacific gateway to Asia, and flow those goods to Canada and to all ports east and south.”

Canada must expand Pacific ports and build safer, faster highways and bridges to move Canadian goods to market, Campbell said.

The Trans-Canada Highway needs improvements through the Rockies, while inland hubs need work so they could take some of the pressure off the ports.

Campbell stopped short of calling on the provinces directly to invest in the strategy, but emphasized Ontario is among those provinces with the most to lose.

After B.C., Ontario has the highest value per capita of imports to Canada from Asia, he said.

“Half of all of the goods that move from Asia-Pacific into Ontario, into the heart of Canada, go through Pacific ports,” Campbell said. “I think every province actually recognizes the benefits of the Pacific and they will themselves invest in their provincial infrastructure to reinforce that.”

“All I’m saying to everyone is, let’s raise our sights. Let’s have a national vision for taking advantage of this Pacific Century. We had one for the Atlantic Century. Let’s have one for the Pacific Century so all Canadians can benefit.”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced plans last Wednesday to invest $591 million over eight years into West Coast ports, roads, railways and other infrastructure in an effort to improve trade access to Asia-Pacific markets.

B.C. has already contributed some $3 billion to the initiative and committed another $2.3 billion over the next two years, while the private sector has kicked in about $3 billion.