Corner Brook receives funding for pilot study to develop port

Industry, Trade and Rural Development Minister Beaton Tulk today announced $100,000 in funding for the Corner Brook Port Corporation to conduct a pilot project study for the revitalization and restructuring of the city�s port. Humber East MHA Bob Mercer also participated in the announcement which took place in Corner Brook.

"The Corner Brook port plays an important role in the economic development of the city, and the region as a whole," said Minister Tulk. "In 2001 alone, cruise ship visits to Corner Brook injected an estimated $1.5 million into the region�s economy."

Ray Pollett, chair of the Corner Brook Port Corporation, hopes that the port will eventually be transferred from federal to provincial jurisdiction, and that the study would identify the port�s developmental needs and costs in this regard, as well as alternative operating structures. "We intend to become highly pro-active in marketing the port, providing improved services, and creating new employment opportunities in western Newfoundland," he said.

The study will determine the appropriate structure, mechanisms and approaches for further development of the port as an economic generator which could then be used as a possible model for other ports in the province.

"The Port of Corner Brook is a valuable asset and we need to plan for its long-term development," said MHA Bob Mercer. "The port is, and will continue to be, important to the economic development of the western region of the province."

The Corner Brook Port Corporation�s mandate is to ensure the growth and development of a high quality transportation and distribution service that will enhance the economic well-being of western Newfoundland and Labrador. The corporation includes representatives from the City of Corner Brook, port committee stakeholders and community leaders.

Media contact: Josephine Cheeseman, Communications, (709) 729-4570.

2002 01 08                         2:00 p.m.