Transport committee  Madam Chair, I wonder if I could introduce a friendly amendment.

Transport committee  I appreciate that information. I want to get to this question. When we talk about Canada's shipping infrastructure and keeping up with the changes that are going on in the industry, such as increasing the size of ships, increasing volumes of traffic and so on, what would you like to see come out of the ports modernization review?

Transport committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome to our witnesses. Forgive me if I refer to Mr. Orb as Ray. We spent four years together as members of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and we became good friends. I have a couple of comments first, and then a couple of questions for Mr.

Transport committee  What part do roads play in rural Saskatchewan, in terms of transportation? Are your roads and the road structure adequate?

Transport committee  Okay. Thank you very much. Mr. Broad, I remember meeting with the Atlantic pilotage group, and they expressed major concerns about where there may be changes to the act in terms of perhaps suggesting increasing costs for pilotage in Atlantic Canada. They pointed out to us that they have a great safety record, an impeccable safety record.

Transport committee  Mr. Sharma, I understand the challenges you face in the Labrador environment, in getting product to market and achieving maximum dollar in terms of getting into some of the best and most demanding markets in the world to keep the product price at a good level. What are some of the challenges in transportation logistics faced by your business in particular?

Transport committee  Good morning, Mr. Chaundy and Mr. Sharma. Coming from Atlantic Canada, and living on an island, of course, I have heard many times from the business community about the challenges of accessing markets. Mr. Chaundy, I'll ask you for your thoughts first. I briefly reviewed your report on the regulatory issues in Atlantic Canada.

Transport committee  I'm done; it's good.

Transport committee  Thank you, Madam Chair.

Transport committee  The seafood industry faces challenges in regard to trade, not just Newfoundland and Labrador, but Atlantic Canada. One of the largest markets for seafood is Asia. How will this strategy enhance and integrate transportation systems and logistics across the entire country so that goods produced and harvested in Atlantic Canada travel seamlessly to their destinations and do not face impediments while still on Canadian soil?

Transport committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome to our witnesses this morning. Being from Newfoundland and Labrador, I see a very different picture in terms of transportation networks from what we've seen in other parts of the country. Many of the challenges that our seafood producers and small businesses have are about getting access to markets.

Transport committee  Could you comment a little more on how the port modernization review fit into this overall strategy, particularly for Atlantic Canada?

Transport committee  How does the ports modernization renewal fit into the overall strategy?