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The federal and provincial governments have partnered with N.B. Southern Railway in a $36 million bid to bring its operations up to the weight standards of class 1 railways. The province also has invested in Bell Aliant's $60 million rollout of city-wide fibre optic networks in Fredericton and Saint John. These strategic upgrades are investments in keeping New Brunswick's economy growing - a sign that government and private businesses are bullish on the prospect of growth.

The investment in N.B. Southern Railway is timely. Manufacturers have been squeezed by financial pressures that include rising power and transportation costs, trade protectionism and the fluctuating value of the Canadian dollar. Raising the weight class of the railway will make its operations more compatible with other North American lines. It will give businesses a more cost-effective way to import and export goods, contributing to the creation of a larger northeast trade corridor. And it will take traffic off provincial and interstate highways, easing congestion on truck routes into the U.S. market. It will also generate new work for companies that can supply materials for the replacement of rail ties, bedwork and bridges.

In the general effort to create an Atlantic Gateway for new trade, railway capacity must be expanded along with the region's ports and highways. Federal minister Greg Thompson and Premier Shawn Graham have made a wise investment in competitive, sustainable transportation - one that will yield benefits for decades.

Bell Aliant's fibre optic network will open up a different kind of trade gateway, connecting 70,000 urban homes and businesses to broadband Internet. It's expected to be in operation by the middle of 2010. The expansion was secured by three years' worth of provincial contracts and $1 million in funding; in return, Bell Aliant will issue $3 million in project-related contracts to local businesses.

This project hearkens back to the days when New Brunswick entered the information and communications technology industry, using NB Tel's first-rate telecommunications system to attract new employers and thousands of jobs.

Here's to two companies that see the value of investing in New Brunswick - and two governments prepared to make economic renewal a priority.