World of opportunities: terminal seen as a new link to business with the 49th State.(WORLD TRADE CENTER SPECIAL SECTION)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

There are grand openings, and then there are grand openings. In early September, the opening of the Prince Rupert (British Columbia) Fairview Container Terminal is creating a new high-speed, congestion-free trade corridor between Asia and North America. Now, that's a grand opening.

The $170 million (Canadian) project 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.

Phase I of the project is to be completely operational by late fall and the terminal fully operational by 2014.

The project is a convergence of the private-public partnership to finance and complete the first dedicated intermodal container terminal in North America, notes Prince Rupert Port Authority President and CEO Don Krusel.

"We will be able to offer both Asian and North American shippers unparalleled reliability, efficiency and speed in moving their products through our port," said Krusel.

Five partners combined to make the terminal project possible, on schedule and on budget: Maher Terminals, Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia, CN Rail, and Prince Rupert Port Authority.

"Fifty years ago, Canada opened up Atlantic trade to North America with investments in the St. Lawrence Seaway. Today, we are beginning to see investments and even greater opportunity as we open up trade corridors linking the growing Asian economies with North America through Canada's Pacific Gateway," says British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell.

CN Rail, which invested $25 million toward the terminal project, will see improvements that 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, Tenn. CN has also upgraded a tunnel and bridge, built new intermodal terminals in Prince George and Edmonton and acquired 50 new state-of-the-art locomotives specifically to serve Prince Rupert.

The terminal is expected to only add to Alaska's already busy export business with Canada. Alaska's closest neighbor to the south, was the sixth-largest seafood exporter, with nearly $70 million worth of product being transacted.

Despite its remoteness, Maher Terminals, a New Jersey-based operator, believed the Port of Prince Rupert could become a major cargo gateway for North America when it successfully bid a 30-year lease in 2001 to establish its first terminal on the West Coast.

Print Get the Mag Weekly Updates