Thank you for the invitation to speak today from the traditional territories of the Ts'msyen people.
The port of Prince Rupert consists of terminals that facilitate Canadian trade through intermodal containers, dry and liquid bulk, and cruise facilities. We currently ship about 25 million to 30 million tonnes of cargo annually as well as moving 40,000 cruise passengers. Our cargo volume represents $50 billion of Canadian trade goods, making us the third-largest port in Canada. For context and to emphasize the underlying theme of growth, this represents an increase in trade from less than five million tonnes as recently as 2005. Our current investment portfolio of advanced projects is in excess of $2 billion, and we forecast that our volume will increase to over 40 million tonnes over the next decade.
Prince Rupert's continued development is integral to national supply chains, Canada's Indo-Pacific trade agenda and the interests of many industries to grow, transform and diversify in a rapidly changing world.
The recent report from the national supply chain task force makes important recommendations. It recommends immediate response actions to address labour needs, including attracting indigenous workers; expanding, expediting and supporting TFWs and immigration sources; encouraging more truck drivers; and developing a transportation supply chain labour strategy that covers important elements of labour force development. We broadly endorse all of these immediate actions and we are pleased to see the urgency that is attached to them.
In addition, we would also emphasize that supply chains have critical geographic nodes like ports, which need special attention. The port of Prince Rupert is an even more unique case, a critical node within large global supply chains in the midst of a very strong growth curve, but located in a relatively small and remote community. This situation makes it very different as a major trade gateway, in that it does not have access to a large potential labour supply in the way that large metropolitan areas do.
Getting immediate fixes for labour force shortages is challenging, given that the small population and labour force offer little resiliency and redundancy within the region. The growth of the Prince Rupert trade gateway and its supply chain businesses has provided Prince Rupert and northern B.C. with a critical economic engine. It has also benefited the national interest in terms of critical supply chain capacity, diversification and resiliency, which have benefited trade.
Prince Rupert has a population of roughly 13,000 people. About 2,000 jobs within the community are directly tied to port-related employers. It's truly a big port in a small town, and its development has been a remarkable economic development success story that includes a broad distribution of opportunity. For example, 38% of our local port labour force is indigenous, a fact that reflects the unique demographics of B.C.'s north coast. However, the reality is that the local labour force is largely maxed out. Local hirings in one business create shortages in others. Employers in sectors such as health care, education, retail, personal services, food and beverage are impacted as much as direct port employers are. Population growth through new residents is a critical factor as capacity and volume grow. Quite simply, we need more people to work, to train and to create a balanced and diversified local economy.
However, that population growth is challenged by difficulties in recruiting to a small town in a relatively isolated location. Local employers have been innovative and actively co-operate in recruiting efforts, but progress is daunting. Shortages of housing, public services and private sector services make that task more difficult. Local municipalities are challenged to keep up with infrastructure needs, in particular in Prince Rupert, where basic water, sewage treatment and road infrastructure are decades and even up to a century old.
I know that the challenges for small isolated communities to create livable cities that match modern-day expectations are not unique, but in this case, because of Prince Rupert's critical strategic role in trade and the national supply chain, the ramifications for Canada's national interest are significant. Being in a small northern town is a logistical advantage for the port, but it also creates challenges in the context of supporting fast growth. As a port authority and as a local business, we're leaning hard into solutions through local investments and capacity support, but we need more.
As part of its national supply chain strategy and associated supply chain labour force strategy, the Government of Canada should consider a more proactive role in providing direct financial assistance to port gateway municipalities to increase capital infrastructure when those increases would outstrip local financial capacity. It should also consider prioritizing local partnerships in those same regions to address labour force supply impacts and issues that result from having national trade move through local gateways.
We trust you will consider this information in your report.
Thank you.