Port of Saint John still waiting for federal funding to be signed, sealed and delivered

Over the past week, the $205 million expansion to the west side operation at the Port of Saint John has been dragged back into the political realm.

The expansion remains front and centre for the Port, and for Premier Brian Gallant, who has expressed concern over the delays.

“I actually think the Port of Saint John is the priority and if it wasn’t the priority I would argue with the mayor that it should be,” Gallant told reporters March 24th.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I actually think the Port of Saint John is the priority and if it wasn't the priority I would argue with the mayor that it should be," Gallant told reporters March 24th.

“The Port of Saint John is going to create thousands of jobs with the investments that we’re making.”

Mayor Mel Norton says work on the Saint John City Market is the city’s number one priority. The province has allotted said $2 million in funding allotted for that.

Gallant made a $68 million pledge to the Port last July.

A few weeks before that, the Federal Conservatives made a $68 million announcement of their own, but according to Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long, that money is still in limbo.

He says the announcement from the feds meant the Port was eligible for the funding, but it’s not yet set in stone.

“One of the surprises I certainly got when I went to Ottawa to inquire about the port funding was that it wasn’t done,” he said.

“It wasn’t approved — It wasn’t even really started through a process yet.”

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Long says people seem to have jumped to an early conclusion about the matter but the process continues to move forward.

“My priority is the Port — my priority is delivering this for the region, but we have to respect the process and we’re almost there but we’re not there yet.”

The Port declined Global News’ request for an interview but President Jim Quinn has acknowledged in the past that a process has to be followed when it comes to funding requests.

Long says he’s been working hard on this file behind the scenes as the process makes it’s way through government.

He says he’s hopeful an announcement will be made — a positive one — within the next several weeks.