Capital Report ~ September 14, 2007
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Premier Campbell helped open the new Fairview Container Terminal at the Port of Prince Rupert. The $170-million project has a design capacity of 500,000 containers, and opens up a new high-speed trade corridor between Asia and North America. A friendship agreement was signed between the Port of Ningbo, China, and the Port of Prince Rupert. The agreement will see the two ports exchange economic and technical information, and promote shipping opportunities between them. September 12, 2007.

Prince Rupert Container Terminal Opening New World of Opportunities

This week's grand opening of the Prince Rupert Fairview Container Terminal is creating a new high-speed, congestion-free trade corridor between Asia and North America. This hails a new era for Prince Rupert, a major milestone in the gateway initiatives of Canada and British Columbia, and a wave of new business opportunities for CN Rail and Maher Terminals.

  • The Province’s $30-million financial contribution and support for the overall terminal project reflects its commitment to the Pacific Gateway’s northern corridor.
  • The $170 million terminal project has a design capacity of 500,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units).
  • CN is also investing heavily in rail capacity, which will benefit the entire Pacific gateway. These improvements include upgrades to its rail traffic control system west of Prince George and extended sidings that will result in a double track system from Prince Rupert to Memphis with the capacity to handle the four million TEUs that the Port of Prince Rupert is projecting to handle by 2015.

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$4.15 Million Helps Aboriginal Students Access Languages

For the fourth straight year, the Province has increased funding to help Aboriginal students access the education they want and succeed in their post-secondary goals, Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell announced this week.

  • The Aboriginal Special Projects Fund is increasing from $2 million to $4.15 million, $1.15 million of which is specified for language curriculum.
  • The increased funding is supporting 50 new and continuing projects at 21 public post-secondary institutions across the province, 14 of which are language oriented.
  • Since 2001, the Province has provided more than $15 million in funding to 272 special projects benefiting over 4,700 Aboriginal students.

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New Legal Tools to Protect Rural Representation

The Province will provide new legal tools to the British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission to protect the number of electoral districts in rural British Columbia while ensuring fair representation in growing regions of the province. 

  • The legislation will establish special designations for the North, Cariboo-Thompson and Columbia-Kootenay using the boundaries already established by the commission after their first round of hearings.
  • At the same time, the commission will be given the legal requirement to increase the number of seats in growing regions of the province by five.
  • Based on the 12 regions identified in the preliminary report, the commission will be required to ensure no region loses any existing seats.

 

 

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Sunday, September 16
Port Moody-Westwood MLA Iain Black will be featured on Constituency Report from 8:30-9:00am and 5:30-6:00pm on Shaw Cable 4 in the Lower Mainland.

Quotes This Week

“I think this is a day that we have been preparing for…a hundred years, because with the building of the railway, the Grand Trunk Pacific, a hundred years ago, the whole intention was to make the Port of Prince Rupert and this whole rail corridor a gateway to and from Asia. I think with the opening of the container terminal we have finally achieved that destiny that was put out as a vision a hundred years ago."
Don Krusel, CEO of the Prince Rupert port commenting on the opening of the Prince Rupert port this week. CBC Daybreak North, September 12, 2007.

“I think that’s just wonderful. I just can’t be more pleased that the premier has acted so quickly on this.”
Colin Kinsley, Mayor of Prince George, commenting on the Premier’s announcement that rural seats in BC will be protected under legislation to be brought forward this fall. Prince George Free Press, September 14, 2007.


Did You Know?
  • The Emergency and Health Services Commission (EHSC) has contributed $3 million to establish Vancouver Foundation's Emergency Medical Assistants Education Fund. The purpose of the fund is to defray license upgrade costs incurred by emergency medical assistants.

  • The Province welcomed 15 Aboriginal youth to their new roles in the BC Public Service as part of the Aboriginal Youth Internship Program.

  • The Province's School Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program is expanding to include 164 B.C. schools.
    © 2007 Government Caucus of British Columbia. All Rights Reserved.