Transport committee  Thank you. I'll give a multiple piece answer. We have a backlog that is going to require significant investment. For us to participate—a lot of programs require one-third, one-third, one-third—the municipality needs to come up with a third. For example, should we receive matching funds from the federal government on the $65 million the province has put forward, we've committed to coming up with another $65 million, so we need to borrow to do that.

Transport committee  Thank you very much. You're welcome any time. We'll roll out the red carpet just for you. I'm supportive of the changes I've seen, at least most recently. Adding a second appointment from the local communities is worthwhile. We appreciate that once they're appointed they become full members of the board, and they're not reporting back to those municipalities.

Transport committee  We would move towards becoming a modern port city capable of supporting one of Canada's most important trade corridors. That looks at basic stuff; I'm talking water. We estimate that right now our infrastructure backlog is in the $650-million range. With local taxpayers paying $12,300, that's just not possible for us to address.

Transport committee  I don't know what the overall stipend is in larger cities, larger ports and all of those things, but in a small community that's so outsized by its port.... A study showed that 66% of the households earning over $100,000 a year in Prince Rupert had port wages. In Vancouver it's like 2%.

Transport committee  Thank you. I appreciate that in my comments there's a crossover between the provincial mandate and the federal mandate, but I thought it important to deliver the whole message of the challenges that a small municipality sees in the face of a large port. I really need to preface this by saying that we're very thankful for that large part.

Transport committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair and honourable members. I'm Herb Pond, the mayor of Prince Rupert, Canada's northernmost west coast city and home to Canada's third-largest port. The community and the port of Prince Rupert are inextricably linked. Each must be successful for the other to survive.