Trade Some transportation projects on New Brunswick wish list don't fit scheme, minister says

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Rob Linke
Telegraph-Journal

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OTTAWA - The federal cabinet minister responsible for the Atlantic Gateway is throwing cold water on some of the transportation projects on the wish list compiled by southern New Brunswick industry.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay told the Telegraph-Journal Monday that it's too early to pinpoint which New Brunswick projects will deserve funding and which won't - but his priority is to make the original concept of the Atlantic Gateway work.

The Gateway concept envisions the Atlantic region and Ottawa convincing shippers in China and India that the quickest, cheapest route to destinations in eastern and central North America - particularly for container traffic - is through the Suez Canal to Halifax, then connections by rail and truck.

In 2007, Ottawa budgeted $2.1 billion for Atlantic Gateway infrastructure, $400-million of which went to upgrades to the busy Detroit-Windsor border crossing.

Now, with the jockeying begun for the rest of the money, MacKay's advice appears to be two-fold: look at the big picture and keep to the original idea.

The Southern New Brunswick Gateway Council's list of priorities includes such things as centerline lighting for Saint John Airport's runway and extending a runway at Moncton's airport.

MacKay didn't give a thumbs-down to those or any other specific project but said of the wish list in general that "some (projects) do and some don't" meet the gateway's criteria.

MacKay argued the region will get the best bang for its buck by attracting more international shippers who place a premium on efficient, secure and timely transportation from their port of origin to the destination for their goods.

"That has to sometimes put aside the shorter-term infrastructure need that doesn't specifically speak to that objective," he said.

"I would direct the provinces or in some cases municipalities or the private sector to other forms of funding and other infrastructure investment that isn't specifically related to the gateway."

In New Brunswick, all but roughly $3-million of the $540-million Building Canada multi-year infrastructure agreement is already spoken for.

Ottawa and the provincial government also agreed in August to twin the final two-lane stretch of Route 1 leading to the border crossing at St. Stephen, a key transportation priority for Premier Shawn Graham.

MacKay also said there will eventually be a summit on transportation priorities for the region, but says there is already a lot of consultation underway with provincial governments and the private sector.

MacKay had already been handling some aspects of the Atlantic Gateway as minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled his new cabinet in late October, MacKay was named minister responsible for the Atlantic Gateway.

Since then, the southern New Brunswick and Halifax gateway councils have called for MacKay to convene a summit to decide funding priorities for the region.

MacKay said a summit will "eventually happen," but meantime, there are plenty of consultations underway with the provincial governments and private sector.

And "there will be many venues and ample opportunity in which the private sector and the other stakeholders are going to be able to have their say."

MacKay said he agreed that speeding up infrastructure spending would be one timely response to the current economic slowdown.

That was under discussion between the premiers and Prime Minister Stephen Harper when they met on the economy last week.

"Infrastructure construction - that means jobs, it means other opportunities, it means increased capacity," said MacKay.

"So yes, I very much believe that this gateway concept can be a bit of a life preserver ensuring we're able to weather this storm, if you'll pardon all the nautical references."

Still, MacKay would not say whether any significant spending on the Atlantic Gateway would be in the next federal budget.

He said transportation stakeholders and the provincial governments should focus on what projects would improve the region's capacity, and that in due course, every province would benefit.

"There are things that the provinces themselves can do to make up for the fact that perhaps in the early going some provinces may be seen as more integral to the gateway concept," said MacKay.

"But it all comes out in the end. On balance, if one province is doing better, there will be spillovers. The impact will be spread around. There will a broad benefit for all provinces, I'm convinced of that.

"ACOA takes specific steps to ensure there's equity (in departmental spending) between the provinces. Gateway will be the same. There's no intention to build one province at the expense of any other.

"The intention is to build Atlantic Canada as a whole."