Generations of my family have worked for Port Saint John. I grew up on Broad Street in Saint John’s south end — where everyone understood the port’s importance in sustaining and creating jobs. 

Port Saint John has always been a cornerstone for the economy of our city and province. Every year, millions of tonnes of cargo move through the port to and from all areas of our continent. Thousands of jobs in the forestry, refining, agricultural, fishing, manufacturing, transportation and many other sectors depend on it.

Major changes have been happening in the shipping world. In order to compete, Port Saint John needed to take action that would allow it to accommodate larger and deeper vessels or risk losing business altogether in what was and remains an extremely competitive shipping world. This action has included a $205-million modernization investment shared equally by the federal and provincial governments, as well as by the port authority itself. 

As a result of the port's modernization plans and in addition to many elements of the port's overall strategy, three key pieces of the strategy have been realized:

• In 2012, the world’s second largest container line, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), agreed to make Saint John a port of call, once again connecting New Brunswick producers and receivers to the global community.
• In 2016, the port attracted one of the world’s largest terminal operators, DP World, which has invested tens of millions of dollars in equipment, technology and training. The most visible evidence is the presence of the container cranes on the west side of the port.
• In 2019, Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) decided to once again connect the west side of our port to their railway system, making Port Saint John once again the only Atlantic Canadian port served by Canada's two Class 1 railways, CPR and Canadian National.

Make no mistake about it: CPR's return is key to the future growth of our port and province!

CPR's acquisition of the Central Maine and Quebec Railway — connecting Atlantic Canada to Montreal, Toronto and the American Midwest — creates a rail corridor that is 320 kilometres shorter than other shipping options. CPR’s return is injecting much-needed competition into the freight transportation market in our region.

In addition to their $125-million US acquisition of this railroad, CPR is investing $90 million to upgrade the rail infrastructure along this route, improving both safety and efficiency. This investment is not only a huge vote of confidence in our region: It represents a game changer for our economy and an enormous opportunity to create solid, good-paying jobs while driving economic growth as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. CPR has also been key to attracting another global shipping line, Hapag Lloyd, to Saint John. This weekly service joins that of CMA CGM and MSC, providing our port with global service from three of the world's largest shipping lines.

CPR’s investment is already driving growth in cargo volumes through Port Saint John, so much so that the port is expected to reach the limits of its existing capacity in the near future. And CPR, together with DP World and the port authority, are not finished attracting new business! Residents of our city and province, as well as those who are connected to our port in so many ways, can expect to see additional services in the not-too-distant future!

In response to this demand, Port Saint John has advanced a $42-million project — which it calls Enhanced Modernization — to increase capacity from 300,000 TEUs to 800,000 TEUs. This additional capacity is what the port needs to respond to near-term growth projections and to provide competitive options for shippers and receivers.

(A TEU is a 20-foot long by eight-foot wide by eight-foot high container.)

Discussions with the province and federal government prior to the recent election were well advanced and those discussions will now resume. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc and our local MP, Wayne Long, agree Enhanced Modernization is a priority as they also agree the port's continued growth is a key element to our economic prosperity. They have been and will continue to be active and important advocates for this initiative.

All the accomplishments to date have strengthened the port’s request for this additional government funding. After all, the current $205-million modernization project has already stimulated more than $375 million in private sector investment! In order to continue this growth and return on investment, it is imperative that Enhanced Modernization be approved and proceed as soon as possible.

Port Saint John wants to increase its business and contribute to stimulating the jobs and economic opportunities that will be created across our city and province. This is an occasion where citizens and community leaders across New Brunswick need to come together to support what will be a game changer for all of us! Let’s not lose this opportunity!

I was indeed honoured and privileged in having had the opportunity to serve as Port Saint John's CEO these past 11 years. My recent appointment to the Senate of Canada has only strengthened my determination to see our port flourish — and with it, the economic prosperity of our city, region and province!

Jim Quinn is a senator from New Brunswick and the former CEO of Port Saint John.