Canadian Chamber of Commerce supports resolution on Canada's ports by Delta Chamber

Delta, B.C. (September 24, 2007) The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has supported a resolution that will now be directed to the federal government calling for the significant investment needed to meet the rapid growth and highly competitive opportunity in global trade as well as the needs of local businesses and communities in that process. This resolution submitted by the Delta Chamber of Commerce and joined by the Prince George Chamber, became a collaborative submission with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce on behalf of sea and river ports in Canada and was approved at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s September 15 to 17 Annual General Meeting in Markham, Ontario.

The Delta Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, had been successful with a similar resolution focused only on Canada’s west coast ports, and directed to the provincial as well as federal governments, at the BC Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting on May 26 in Victoria.

“We took this initiative on behalf of our local businesses and the community overall,” says Delta Chamber of Commerce President, Maria DeVries, “because no community is more challenged than Delta in terms of our ports being linked to a massive, and in many respects antiquated, transportation infrastructure, of water, rail, road and air. While this huge demand on transportation to meet trade targets presents opportunities it does come with costs for local businesses and communities.”

DeVries said that an injection of capital to invest in the transportation infrastructure for Canada’s port communities will ensure that Canada can compete globally. What is best for trade to and from the whole country also needs to consider what is best for local port communities so they will remain livable and provide the people and spaces to support that growing investment in trade so critical in our global economy.

DeVries says: “We thought it was important to not only continue working with the Prince George Chamber of Commerce in making this resolution, but to collaborate with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce to achieve a national approach. We do recognize that Halifax and other St. Lawrence Seaway ports face a large, competitive trade challenge particularly with the rapidly growing economy of India, but our west coast ports in BC face a much bigger and more immediate challenge in meeting the competitive demands of trade with China and Southeast Asia. All Canada’s ports need support to grow and develop, but our west coast ports, including those in Delta, need the federal and provincial investment in both port facilities and the port communities sooner.”

Founded in 1910 the Delta Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit association which cultivates a healthy environment for business, industry and commerce, and collaborates with governments and interest groups to achieve a sustainable community in Delta, British Columbia.

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For more information, contact:
Maria DeVries, President
Delta Chamber of Commerce
Tel. 604-946-4232
Cell 604-671-5735