Port of Oshawa Creates 300 Jobs for Region: Study

 

IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   Contact: Julia Fields

                                                                                                            613-294-8515                                                              

Oshawa, Ontario (February 14, 2011)— Cargo shipments to and from the Port of Oshawa generate $23 million worth of economic activity and 294 jobs, according to a study released today.

The new analysis is part of a wider study carried out by economic consultants Martin Associates that in October reported that the entire bi-national Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Seaway System and its more than 100 ports generate $34.6 billion of economic activity and 227,000 jobs in Canada and the U.S..

The Port of Oshawa statistics, which include cargo carried to and from the port by Canadian, American and international ships, are being revealed following the announcement by the federal government last week of the creation of a Canada Port Authority to run the port.

Formerly the only remaining Harbour Commission in Canada, the transition to port authority status will allow the port to more fully pursue commercial opportunities, while taking into account input from port users and other stakeholders such as the local community.

The study reveals:

 

• Of the 294 jobs, 153 jobs are directly generated by the marine cargo and vessel activity at the marine terminals at the Port of Oshawa.
• As the result of the local and regional purchases by those 153 individuals holding the direct jobs, an additional 71 induced jobs are supported in the regional economy.
• 69 indirect jobs were supported by $8 million of regional purchases by businesses supplying services at the marine terminals at the Port of Oshawa.
• Combining the direct, induced and indirect income impacts, the cargo handled at the Port of Oshawa generated $7.9 million in wages and salaries, and local consumption expenditures in the Great Lakes regional economy.
• A total of $5.9 million of provincial and federal taxes were generated by cargo and vessel activity at the Port of Oshawa, with $1.2 million generated at the provincial level and  $4.7 million generated at the federal level.

 

Donna Taylor, CEO and Harbour Master of the Oshawa Port Authority, said: “This study shows that the commercial activities at the Port generate significant employment and tax revenue for the city, region and province. The Port is entering an exciting new era with its new status as a Canadian Port Authority, which gives port users a sense of security for infrastructure investment. Plans are underway for the construction of a new rail spur and a second dock at the East side of the harbour. The construction of these projects and new cargoes that are brought in will create further jobs and benefits for the City of Oshawa.”

The Port of Oshawa is a crucial transportation hub to bring in materials for the region’s steel and construction industries. Steel materials from Turkey, Portugal, Spain and Ukraine are shipped to the port, further processed at local and regional companies and then used in construction projects, including the flurry of condos being built in downtown Toronto.  Port tenant McAsphalt also ships in its liquid asphalt, which is then used in road construction. Sifto Canada and Cargill use the Port to ship in salt that is used to de-ice roads and walkways throughout the Greater Toronto Area during the winter. The port also receives potash fertilizer from Agrico for local farmers and more recently is being used to transport the region’s soybeans and corn by barge to ports in Quebec City and Trois-Rivièreswhere it has been sold to Quebec farmers for animal feed.

Taylor said: “The Port supports the activities of many local companies and farmers by allowing them to use cost-efficient, environmentally-friendly, waterborne transportation to ship their goods.  Many of these products are used in the day-to-day lives of Oshawa and Greater Toronto Area residents, without them even realizing it.”

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About the Study

 

The overall study, which uses 2010 data, was carried out by respected economic consultants Martin Associates of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and peer reviewed in Canada by Dr. John Lawson, Research Associate of the University of British Columbia Centre for Transport Studies. The peer review process in Canada was overseen by Transport Canada. The full executive summary and study is available at www.marinedelivers.com.

 

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Marine Delivers is a bi-national, industry collaboration that aims to demonstrate the positive economic and environmental benefits, safety, energy efficiency, and sustainability of the shipping industry throughout the Great Lakes-Seaway System. The Marine Delivers initiative is administered by the American Great Lakes Ports Association in the United States, and the Chamber of Marine Commerce in Canada. For more information, visit the Marine Delivers website at www.marinedelivers.com.