Lower Mainland freight system gets Ottawa dollars

VANCOUVER — Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced funding for the Pacific Gateway — an investment that will improve rail, port and trucking operations in Vancouver’s South Shore Trade Area.

Ottawa will partner with Port Metro Vancouver, the City of Vancouver, Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National to fund the infrastructure projects.

"The South Shore Trade Area is essential to the trade that flows between Western Canada and our Pacific trading partners," said Harper.

In 2008, the South Shore Trade Area processed approximately 29 million metric tons of goods and is expected to process 32 million in 2010.

The benefits of this strategic investment will not only improve operations there, but will also extend to grain producers as well as importers and exporters throughout Canada, the prime minister said.

The feds will contribute up to $49.7 million of the $125 million investment.

Over the past three years, the government has committed almost $1 billion to the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative.