NEWS RELEASE
OTTAWA, ONTARIO –- The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system’s role as a bi-national trade gateway to jobs and prosperity was highlighted yesterday as marine commerce executives and their customers met with Canadian federal government representatives during Marine Day on the Hill, organized by the Chamber of Marine Commerce.
This year’s Marine Day on the Hill theme celebrated Our Bi-National Trade Gateway for over 150 years. The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, was a special guest at an evening reception hosted by MP Vance Badawey and attended by around 80 Parliamentarians and marine industry stakeholders.
Minister Garneau said: “Close to 15% of all the cargo transported on the Great Lakes-Seaway is cross-border trade back and forth between Canada and the United States. In many ways, marine shipping is the cornerstone of the economy. I congratulate all the hardworking men and women in this important industry who contribute so much to this success.”
Earlier in the day, Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, rose in the House of Commons to deliver a message of support for Marine Day.
Mr. Badawey said: “It may surprise some to learn that Great Lakes – St. Lawrence shipping contributes 227,000 well-paying jobs to Canada’s economy while moving 160 million metric tons of cargo. Annually, Great Lakes – St. Lawrence shipping brings in $35 billion in business revenue and contributes $5 billion in tax revenues. In addition to a stellar safety record this method of shipping also results in an 84% reduction in carbon emissions versus trucks and trains.”
Wayne Smith, Chairman of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, also addressed the evening reception: “We are celebrating 150 years of binational trade on the greater Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system. It’s a unique and vital waterway that has been a trade gateway to jobs and prosperity in Canada and the U.S. for centuries. It is also delivers real value as a transportation mode in reducing greenhouse gases. For an industry that has been around this long what we are really excited about is the opportunity for growth in the future, thus easing congestion on our highways and delivering environmental value.”
Bruce Burrows, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, said: “In this time of NAFTA negotiations, Canadians should know that, since way before our country’s inception, marine shipping has played a key role in Canada/US trade and this contribution continues today. Ships deliver over 37 million metric tons of raw materials and products across the border in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region alone every year.”
Ships carry iron ore from Minnesota, Michigan and Quebec between the U.S. and Canada for steel production. Salt is transported from mines in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario to de-ice roads in thousands of cities/towns across the region. Aluminum from Quebec travels via barge to New York State to be further processed and used in the production of automobiles. Construction materials (including aggregate products and cement) flow through the system between Canada and the U.S. And the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway is a major export corridor of grain products both between the two countries and to world markets.
Download Photos from the event: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marinecommerce/albums/72157688174947413
MP Vance Badawey in the House of Commons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ni2EptZhmo
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About the Chamber of Marine Commerce
The Chamber of Marine Commerce is a bi-national association that represents more than 130 marine industry stakeholders including major Canadian and American shippers, ports, terminals and marine service providers, as well as domestic and international ship owners. The Chamber has merged with the Canadian Shipowners Association, combining resources to advocate for an efficient regulatory climate that promotes a strong and competitive marine industry for the benefit of all industry stakeholders throughout the bi-national Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region and along the eastern seaboard and northern coasts. Based in Ottawa, Canada, the merged entity will continue to be called the Chamber of Marine Commerce.
Media Contact
Julia Fields
Chamber of Marine Commerce
(613) 294-8515
The Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) is a bi-national association that represents diverse marine industry stakeholders including major Canadian and American shippers, ports, terminals and marine service providers, as well as Canadian domestic and international ship owners. The Chamber advocates for safe, sustainable, harmonized and competitive policy and regulation that recognizes the marine transportation system's significant advantages in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence, Coastal and Arctic regions.
Media Contact:
Jason Card
Chamber of Marine Commerce
jcard@cmc-ccm.com
(613) 447 5401