Port of Saint John important to the “fabric” of New Brunswick: CEO

As the port of a place often called the Port City, the Port of Saint John plays a massive role in the economic activity of the region.

But according to Port CEO Jim Quinn, the economic importance of the facility extends far beyond the city of Saint John.

“I think the reality is that it’s important to the fabric of New Brunswick. The exports that we handle come from all areas of New Brunswick. This is not a Saint John story alone,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think the reality is that it's important to the fabric of New Brunswick. The exports that we handle come from all areas of New Brunswick. This is not a Saint John story alone," he said.

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Saint John boasts the third busiest port in Canada by tonnage and plays a central role in Atlantic Canada’s export economy, helping to maintain many north to south shipping routes. That shipping capacity is now complimented by a burgeoning cruise ship sector that is set to have another record year in 2019.

Quinn said growing both of those planks is crucial to the long term success of the city and the province.

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“Our job, quite frankly, is to make sure that we have the best infrastructure that we can possibly have, attract the right services that we can possibly have and then open up the global market place to New Brunswick producers. If we can get New Brunswick products to an even further global marketplace and that means that those places then get busier,” said Quinn.

The port is currently undergoing a $205 million project to modernize its west side terminal to better allow the port to meet the demands of modern shipping.

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The president of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities said these sorts of investments are critical at a time when ports are undergoing radical change.

“There’s a huge and very urgent need to be investing in that kind of transportation infrastructure now. I would say, frankly, it was urgent five years ago, we need to be doing it now, we certainly can’t wait anymore,” said President Wendy Zatylny.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There's a huge and very urgent need to be investing in that kind of transportation infrastructure now. I would say, frankly, it was urgent five years ago, we need to be doing it now, we certainly can't wait anymore," said President Wendy Zatylny.

Zatylny added that Saint John is well positioned for the future with its growing footprint in the cruise ship industry and its investments in public spaces, allowing the port to serve its citizens, not just ships.