Port Report
The 2013 year-end report released by Port Metro Vancouver last week—which details an increase in the amount of cargo handled by the port over 2012, particularly in the container and bulk sectors—shows the benefits of the area’s infrastructure projects, says Avison Young VP Ryan Kerr. (Primary benefit: more places to film chase scenes in boat-based action movies.) Ryan, pointing to the federal government’s Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, says this may mean “additional calls for infrastructure improvement,” which boosts the economy with new construction jobs.
Most recently, the federal government announced almost $20M in funding for a $45M overpass on the Deltaport Causeway, part of PMV’s Deltaport Terminal, Road, and Rail Improvement Project. JLL’s Baktash Kasraei says the port handles 19% of Canada’s total trade and contributed to more than 57,000 jobs in the Lower Mainland. (The other 81% of trade are Sidney Crosby rookie cards.) It should be plain to see that "the port's vision and a strong mandate to support investment in the industrial and transportation infrastructure is vital if we are to maintain our relevance in the global economy.”
