Issue 5 • March-April 2008
In the Heart of it All
Toronto's Waterfront
In the heart of downtown Toronto exists one of the liveliest and widely used city and inland ports across all of Canada.
“The Toronto Port Authority (TPA) is able to capitalize on its proximity to Canada’s largest financial, industrial and cultural centres by providing transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses in Toronto and the surrounding regions,” explains TPA President, Lisa Raitt.
The TPA was established on June 8, 1999, under the Canada Marine Act and operates the Port of Toronto, Toronto City Centre Airport (TCCA) along with Marine Terminals 51 and 52, and the Outer Harbour Marina.
Offering immediate access to marine routes, major highways and rail facilities, as well as a large protected harborfront- approximately two miles long and one mile wide- the port has become an important part of Ontario and Canada’s economy.
“It has really become a main artery in the lifeblood of Canada’s marine transportation industry,” said Raitt. “The port is at an advantage because it is amenable to all sizes and scopes of marine transportation. It has a remarkable three miles of deep-water wharfage for the loading and unloading of barges and carrier ships as well as both indoor and outdoor storage.”
The Marine Terminals and Outer Harbour Marina offers over 600 slips, a 35-ton Travelift, mast crane and fork lift, as well as green space for boaters - all just minutes from bustling downtown Toronto.
The TPA built the $12 million International Marine Passenger Terminal to house the operation of the Toronto-Rochester Fast Ferry service. Although the service is no longer in operation, this state-of-the-art facility is used to anchor the growing passenger cruising traffic in the Great Lakes.
With the introduction of Porter Airlines in October of 2006 to the TCCA, the TPA became the only port authority in Canada to operate a land-based airport. The airline—operated by a tri-partite agreement between the TPA, the Federal Government and the City of Toronto—provides quick access to all of Metropolitan Toronto's surrounding areas through the transportation links of Via Rail, GO Trains, and the subway and bus system.
The vitality and future growth of the port is evident in the numbers.
“In the past two years alone, total port tonnage has risen 33 percent and high general value marine cargo, container traffic, and warehousing are up 34 percent. Revenue is also up an impressive 32 percent,” said Raitt. “The location and variety of services offered at our facility makes it a truly world class port that will continue to play a vital role in Toronto and Canada’s economic future.”
Marine’s Future Green
A new national poll reveals that Canadians almost universally want the government to reward the use of greener transportation.
Among the one thousand Canadians surveyed, a full 90% support the government offering incentives to encourage companies to use more environmentally friendly methods, like marine transportation, to transport their goods.
In terms of specific rewards, 69% of Canadians recommend the government offer tax incentives and 63% want the government to reduce or eliminate government fees that companies now pay to use the greener marine transportation.
Referring to the marine industry’s plan to surpass environmental regulatory standards in return for government fee rebates, Chamber of Marine Commerce President Raymond Johnston noted, “This is proof positive that our green incentive plan is a winner: a winner for industry, for government, for the environment and now obviously for the people of Canada.”
This survey of one thousand Canadian adults was conducted by Praxicus Public Strategies Inc. between January 6-12, 2008, with a margin of error of ±3.1% nineteen times out of twenty.
Queens Sailing
On April 2 2008, Queen’s Park will be host to the annual Marine Day.
Itinerary for the event will be available shortly, and will include meetings with various MPPs and key government officials.
The day will be an opportunity for sector officials to discuss issues and opportunities with key government officials.
Currently, Minister of Transportation Jim Bradley is scheduled to speak at the Marine Day reception.
Marine Highlights from the 2008 Federal Budget
In 2005, an interim Marine Security Operations Centre in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway region was established. The 2008 Federal Budget shed new light on this issue when it included $15 million over two years to establish a permanent facility.
The operations centre will help departments and agencies work collaboratively to collect, analyze and share information on marine and trans-border traffic that the government says is important to the security of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway region. A permanent operations centre will also allow representatives from provincial/municipal and United States law enforcement agencies to participate.
OMTF Takes Part in Budget Talks
Ontario Finance Minister, Dwight Duncan
On January 21, 2008, OMTF Executive Director, Peter Landry, presented to Ontario's Finance Minister Dwight Duncan during the province’s annual Pre-Budget Consultations.
Several important issues were highlighted throughout the consultation, including the importance of supporting sustainable transportation in order to ease congestion, enhance trade, improve the environment and keep Ontario prosperous.
Marine transportation’s key role in building a “culture of conservation” in Ontario was highlighted throughout the discussions. To take advantage of this low-cost alternative, it was recommended that the Province work with the marine industry to remove barriers and develop incentives for shippers, including the use of short sea shipping, to ease traffic congestion.
Throughout the discussions, it was noted that the government needs to establish a marine policy, similar to that of the province of Quebec, to ensure that marine industry interests are properly addressed. As planning for both infrastructure and the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway has begun, it was noted that marine transportation should be kept in the forefront of the government’s agenda to create a more prosperous and environmentally sustainable Ontario.
Popular Television Show “The Border” Filmed at Toronto Port
A hit Canadian television show has chosen the Toronto Port as its shooting location of choice.
“The Border,” a television show about an elite Toronto-based immigration and customs security squad in the post-Sept. 11 2001 world, is partially filmed at the Toronto Port using the International Marine Passenger Terminal.
Dealing with security challenges, such as human trafficking and terrorism that define the daily struggle in securing the porous 8,891 kilometers-long (5,522 miles-long) U.S.-Canadian border, the show has been receiving rave reviews and ratings.
Report on Border Security Released
A coalition, co-chaired by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) and other partnering associations, has released a report aimed at both the U.S. and Canadian governments on what action must be taken to reduce the costs of border crossings.
While some good progress has been made by our governments, the report, Finding the Balance: Reducing Border Costs While Strengthening Border Security, calls for short-term measures to eliminate duplicative and burdensome border requirements and facilitate the movement of legitimate passenger and cargo traffic.
Remove APHIS fees
Within the recommendations, the report is specifically critical of the relatively new U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) fee and calls on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately waive the fee for participants in C-TPAT and FAST programs.
Intro pilot project for Short Sea Shipping
Notably, the report also includes a substantial section on short sea shipping, advocating
“The marine mode is not only efficient but also a proven environmentally friendly form of transportation, resulting in a significant reduction in greenhouse gases and congestion at border crossings by providing another transportation option,”
and further recommending,
“Within the next 12 months the Canadian and U.S. governments should work together to launch a private sector driven Short Sea Shipping pilot project in the Great Lakes area and ensure that Short Sea Shipping operations face the same entry and clearance requirements as rail and truck.”
The full report can be accessed by clicking on the following link: http://www.chamber.ca/cmslib/general/0802FindingTheBalance.pdf
Founding Members of the Forum include; The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, Windsor Port Authority, Seaway Marine Transport, Hamilton Port Authority, Thunder Bay Port Authority, Toronto Port Authority, Federal Marine Terminals, McKeil Marine Limited and Canada Steamship Lines.
