Strengthening the national supply chain and enhancing the National Trade Corridors Fund were top items federal, provincial and territorial transportation ministers discussed at their annual meeting recently.
“Ministers know efficient, resilient, and competitive transportation systems support a strong economy. They are key to ensuring that Canadians have access to affordable goods, when they need them,” said a communique Friday February 23.
Their discussion centred around:
- strengthening supply chains to support Canada’s economy and make life more affordable for all Canadians
- enhancing transportation safety, security, resiliency and decarbonization of the transportation system,
- collaborating on addressing the transportation infrastructure gaps that exist in northern and rural regions, and
- the need to replenish and enhance the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF).
Ministers established a working group to understand Canada’s transportation supply chains infrastructure and capacity investment needs over the near, medium, and longer term. Ministers expect this work will be leveraged, where applicable by each government to:
- inform policy development,
- support potential intergovernmental coordination regarding shared interests related to attracting foreign direct investment, and
- build cases for funding infrastructure projects and programs.
“Our first priority is and must always be the safety and security of our transport networks, but we also need to collaborate to ensure our supply chains support trade and deliver the goods for Canadians, where they need them, when they need them, and at affordable prices,” federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez said.
“We are responsible for the physical links that connect us all together, as a united country, and I’m glad to see we have strong agreement on that.”
Manitoba Transportation & Infrastructure (MTI) Minister Lisa Naylor attended the meetings and was in full support of the directions noted.
