Enabling job growth and opening new markets will grow our economy and create opportunities – but this means little if our products can’t get to market. Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan ensures that ports, rail, highway and air transportation have the capacity to ship the volume of goods required, and that they continue to offer a significant competitive advantage.

We are investing in transportation infrastructure, and it is paying off. Prince Rupert is North America’s closest port to Asia: two days closer than Seattle and three days closer than Los Angeles, making B.C. the quickest route to ship goods between Asia and the heart of North America.

To meet the growing needs of China and India and manage ever-higher volumes safely and efficiently, we will continue to invest in and expand the Pacific Gateway, our world-class transportation infrastructure:

New investments will made to further develop the Port of Prince Rupert and Port Metro Vancouver’s Deltaport Terminal, to help ensure producers and shippers have reliable, accessible facilities. And we commit to working with our industry and federal partners to push for new investments at Deltaport and Ridley Island in Prince Rupert.

China Southern Airlines recently began providing service out of Vancovuer International Airport (YVR). We will work to develop new partnerships, both passenger and dedicated air cargo, with other global aviation companies to help B.C. fulfill its potential as North America’s premier aviation gateway.

The markets we open today will require continued investments in our airports – and we will work with the private sector to facilitate this. We will also continue to aggressively seek out partnerships with aviation companies to use YVR and other B.C. airports in Abbotsford, Cranbrook, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George as destinations for their passengers and cargo. We will also work with the federal government to ensure our companies can access a greater share of federal aerospace research and procurement funds.