Mr. Speaker, next week the port city of Prince Rupert will host the annual meeting of the Northwest Corridor Development Corporation. This group has a mandate to promote east-west transportation routes along the rail, highway and pipeline systems from central North America to tidewater in Prince Rupert. This less utilized but extremely viable transportation option can and will over time alleviate pressure and congestion at major ports to the south.
In Prince Rupert, a new container facility is in the planning stages, along with required rail upgrades to handle double-stacked rail cars. The offshore oil and gas potential is very real. New pipeline projects to the coast are under discussion, and currently a cruise ship dock is under construction.
Despite current economic woes, the future of northwest British Columbia looks positive. Groups such as the Northwest Corridor Development Corporation assist greatly in bringing reality to this dream. I wish the group every success at its annual general meeting next week.