REGINA — With construction already underway for a transportation and logistics trade centre just west of Regina, the Saskatchewan Global Transportation Hub Authority’s (GTHA) board of directors gathered for the first time.

The GTHA Board of Directors held its inaugural meeting on Feb. 24, and the team of experts is expected to lead the development of the Global Transportation Hub.

"We have assembled a diverse group of men and women with impeccable credentials in transportation logistics and international trade," GTHA Chair Wayne Elhard said. "With people whose names are instantly recognized in the international business community, the Global Transportation Hub vision will quickly become a reality."

In addition to Elhard, board members include: Captain Gordon Houston (vice-chair), former president and CEO of Port Metro Vancouver; Mayo Schmidt, president and CEO of Viterra; Louis Ranger, former Deputy Minister, Transport Canada; Marcella Szel, former vice-president of marketing and sales, Canadian Pacific Rail; Lionel LaBelle, president and CEO, Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership; and Ron Dedman, deputy minister of Government Services, Government of Saskatchewan.

When fully developed, the GTH hopes to comprise a major western Canadian transportation and logistics centre.

About a year ago, Elhard – who was Saskatchewan’s Highways and Infrastructure Minister at the time – revealed the province’s plan to upgrade the highways leading to the 2,000-acre GTH site.

Stage I of the GTH road construction was estimated at $22 million, and was part of the province’s plan to work in partnership with the federal government, the City of Regina, CP Rail and the Rural Municipality of Sherwood, is working to develop the new intermodal transportation facility and related road infrastructure.

As well as the road construction, CP Rail is building a new intermodal facility in the GTH to replace their current downtown Regina facility and Loblaws is constructing a 1-million sq ft distribution centre.

Elhard told local media that he expects the majority of the site to be completely occupied in the next five years.

Saskatchewan isn’t alone in trying to establish a logistics and transportation hub in western Canada. Manitoba has been developing the Winnipeg-based CentrePort for sometime now, and both CN Rail and UPS recently revealed plans to construct major distribution centres in Calgary.