It's my pleasure to be here no matter what time of day.
Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee for the opportunity to meet with you today.
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak today on behalf of our growing global gateway, which serves as an increasing critical conduit for Canada's trade.
I would also like to recognize, Mr. Chair, your visit to the port of Saint John last summer, which we greatly appreciated. It provided an opportunity for you to see first-hand the role our port plays in strengthening Canada's trade and our national supply chain.
Port Saint John manages 330 acres of land and adjacent waterways on behalf of the Government of Canada as a Canadian port authority. Handling over 1,000 vessels annually, we support a diverse cargo base, from more than one million tonnes of Saskatchewan potash exports to 24 million tonnes of liquid bulk—imported crude oil, exported refined petroleum and liquefied natural gas—alongside a wide range of other break-bulk and bulk commodities.
We also play an important role in southern New Brunswick's tourism ecosystem, welcoming between 150,000 and 200,000 cruise passengers via the Bay of Fundy each year. As a key economic driver for New Brunswick, the port contributes an estimated $1.3 billion to provincial GDP and supports more than 6,000 jobs.
Perhaps the most exciting story, and the one increasingly putting us on the global stage, is our container sector. Having recently completed a nation-building project of our own, we understand well the benefits of public investment in Canada's supply chain. With support from such programs as the build Canada fund and the original trade diversification fund and in partnership with the Government of Brunswick, we completed the transformational $247-million modernization of our west side container terminal at the end of 2025. This project has quadrupled our container capacity, significantly increased our vessel handling capabilities and attracted world-class partners committed to the long term.
Today, the port of Saint John is one of North America's fastest-growing ports. Container volumes increased 29% between 2024 and 2025, doubling over the past five years and growing by 315% over the past decade. This growth has been driven in large part by the nearly $1 billion in private sector investments in infrastructure and equipment across our growing gateway. Investments from terminal operators, rail lines and shipping lines were catalyzed by the initial public funding in our container terminal infrastructure. Sometimes when you build it, they really do come.
Momentum continues to build. Later this year, we will open the first Canadian import-export hub by Americold, a global leader in cold storage for temperature-controlled goods. This facility will expand value-added services for shippers and support the development of the broader agri-food strategy at the port of Saint John.
To ensure that we can reach our full potential and support the federal government's trade diversification agenda, we can't let our foot off the gas. That's why we are aggressively investing in our infrastructure to the tune of $35 million through our annual capital program over the next five years. This is not to create anew; rather, it's to replace and restore aging infrastructure. In alignment with many other ports across this country, our infrastructure deficit remains a major issue.
To strengthen the gateway and bolster Canada's supply chain resilience, we must invest strategically to address these infrastructure deficits while also looking beyond our piers and channels. A holistic approach is required to ensure fluidity across the entire supply chain. This includes targeted investments in rail, road and inland infrastructure so that Canadian goods can move seamlessly to and from global markets on each coast. We welcome the federal government's new trade diversification corridors fund, which reflects this system-wide approach.
From a governance and regulatory standpoint, the federal government should maximize our financial flexibility to support those system-wide investments by revisiting the borrowing limit process under the Canada Marine Act. Simplifying and streamlining this process would enable us to strategically invest in our gateway without cash flow constraints.
I echo the comments of my port counterparts. From coast to coast to coast, our ports play a critical role in securing Canada's economic sovereignty. Our growing gateway is uniquely positioned to support the federal government's trade diversification goals. I appreciate the opportunity to share that message with you here today.
Thanks for having me. I look forward to answering any questions you may have.