In Vancouver, the budget to implement this trade corridor was $2.5 billion. It was easy to make plans with that kind of money. We do not have that kind of budget. We are not getting government handouts. Every year in the Quebec City area, we generate $600 million in our regional economy. We are directly or indirectly responsible for 6,000 jobs in Quebec City, and what is more, we pay the federal government $54 million in taxes every year. We pay $100 million in taxes to the Government of Quebec. We are fuelling the economy.
I was head of the alliance that brought together the three Americas in Washington. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent every year to try to find a motto to illustrate the importance of ports to the economy. We found one this year, “Ports bring prosperity”.
“Ports bring prosperity”.
It is true. That is an important aspect of transport in Canada, and the least polluting one as well.