THUNDER BAY, Ont. — As the global market becomes more intimate and interconnected, the importance of a strong and sustainable transportation network is a necessity.
For economic success, Canada needs reliable connections to support international trade — and that means a need for strong ports.
Our Canadian ports are already world-class facilities and powerful trade enablers for Canada and with our coastal areas and waterways seeing more shipping than ever before, our ports are prepared to seize the moment and strengthen our facilities and improve supply chain efficiencies.
The smooth flow of goods through Canada’s ports will be a key focus of the 58th annual conference of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, being held September 6th to 9th in Thunder Bay.
“We welcome attendees from coast to coast to Canada’s furthest inland port, Thunder Bay, at the head of the St. Lawrence Seaway System,” says Tim Heney, Chief Executive Officer of the Thunder Bay Port Authority. “As a trading nation, Canadian Ports are the heart of the global supply chain and an essential component of the country’s economy.”
Thunder Bay is at the head of a water network that stretches 3,700 kilometres from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the hub that ensures grains, oilseeds and pulses from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are shared with the rest of the world — these commodities account for more than half of Canada’s exports.
In Thunder Bay, delegates will ‘Sea the Superior Way’ by engaging in presentations that are topically relevant to the marine industry nationwide, such as Energy Export Consultation, and Maritime Innovation.
“It is not a coincidence that most of the top cities in the world are also port cities,” says Wendy Zatylny, President of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities. “London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Stockholm and Toronto have grown on the strength of ports.
There is no doubt that the economic activity of the ports — gritty and noisy as it might sometimes be — helps build the foundation for a city’s greatness.”
Nearly all the products we consume in our globalized economy are moved by ship – from bananas to medicines, computers to blue jeans.
Canada’s Port Authorities manage more than $400 billion worth of this cargo every year, supporting tens of thousands of jobs from coast to coast, everything from customs brokering and inspecting, to warehousing and freight forwarding, legal and accounting services, ship chandlering and repairs – blue collar and white collar jobs in the support services.
Follow the Association of Canadian Port Authorities Annual Conference on Twitter @ACPA2016. For more information, please visit acpa2016.ca.
About the Association of Canadian Port Authorities:
The Association of Canadian Port Authorities was founded in 1958 and groups together ports and related marine interests into one national association.
ACPA represents all Canadian Port Authorities, various government entities and companies doing business in the marine sector. It is the leading Association for the advocacy and advancement of the Canadian Port Industry.
ACPA members contribute significantly to the local, regional and national economy of Canada, responsible for more than tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and handling some $400 billion in cargo annually.
