MONTREAL — The Port of Montreal is on a quest for more federal dollars to help improve infrastructure in the region.

Patrice M. Pelletier, president and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), hopes to draw to Québec a significant portion of the federal government investments in goods transportation infrastructures in the Québec/Ontario corridor.

Pelletier, speaking at a St. Lawrence Economic Development Council business luncheon, also appealed to all parties interested in the development of this corridor to approach government authorities with a united voice in order to foster the intelligent, concerted, and complementary development of all ports along the St. Lawrence.

International container traffic has been increasing at a substantial rate and is expected to increase by about seven percent by 2020. All of the ports along the eastern seabord invest billions of dollars to obtain a significant share of this maritime traffic. It’s this reason that the Port of Montreal wants to invest quickly in order for the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes Corridor to remain a top-notch laneway for maritime shipments to the coast, the Midwest, and the Canadian west.

Earlier this year, the Port of Montreal revealed a four-phase strategic plan over a dozen years, which aims to generate more than 41,000 jobs and economic spin-offs totalling $3.4 billion annually in 2020. Vision 2020 will see the port invest $2.5 billion to increase capacity from 1.6 million TEUs up to 4.5 million TEUs.

Pelletier concluded his address by appealing to all parties involved in the economic development of the St. Lawrence to pull together with a united voice to approach government authorities to foster development that is intelligent, concerted, and complementary throughout all the ports on the St. Lawrence, and to position them on the international scene.