Thank you.
I think you're right; the announcement we made in Windsor, which I was able to attend, was very well received. It's interesting how sometimes what people think is a niche or a smaller port becomes an essential part of an overall strategy. That was evident in Windsor. The ability to continue in that aggregate business, with all of the things that relate to that--paving, concrete, and all the things that come from it--is no small thing. I know they were very excited to think they had now moved to that next level with that investment.
It's the same sort of thing at Sept-Iles. I wasn't there for the announcement. The Prime Minister was there. I think the port officials said at the time that not only were they very grateful for the investment; they pointed out that it was the leverage they got from the private sector that got them excited. It's a smaller investment from the.... I mean, it's not insignificant, but investment from the federal government is one thing; it also sends a message to the private sector that we're in for the long haul.
So they were able to announce, within short order, the size of.... I forget the exact number--I don't want to give the wrong number here--but considerable private sector investment followed right on the heels of that.
As port officials said at the time, they don't remember--ever, probably--a prime minister coming to their port. The fact that he was there and made the announcement sends a message that I think we want to send in all of our ports. The investment is a sign that.... You know, we are a trading nation and we're heavily dependent on transportation, and these investments in the long run are going to pay off.
The private sector picks up on that right away: if you're in for a penny, then we're in for a pound. And that's nice to see.
That's what's happened in all the gateway initiatives. We make the initial investment. We say we'll be there as a partner. Then the private sector says, well, if you're there, and we know that we have the ear of all levels of government, then we're in for the long haul.
That's been very encouraging.