The quality of Canada's transportation infrastructure and the efficiency of the country's trade corridors are key to the success of Canadian companies in the global marketplace. The Government of Canada invests in infrastructure projects that create quality, middle-class jobs, and support economic growth.
Today, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Member of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margarets, on behalf of the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced a major investment of $20.4 million to build a new interchange on Nova Scotia's Highway 103 near the Town of Bridgewater, approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Halifax. This new interchange will address traffic bottlenecks in commercial and residential traffic, reduce travel time for commercial and industrial trucks, and help move goods to international markets.
The new interchange will allow traffic onto Highway 103, located 2.3 km from the park, local roads and intersections will be upgraded. The project will increase the inventory of industrial land for development, enable existing manufacturing tenants to expand their operations, and increase supply chain efficiency.
These investments are expected to have important economic and employment benefits for the region by creating an estimated 480 jobs in the region during construction.
The Government of Canada is supporting infrastructure projects that contribute most to Canada's success in international trade. Trade diversification is a key component of the National Trade Corridors Fund, through projects that:
- improve the performance of the transportation system to increase the value and volume of goods exported from Canada to overseas markets; and
- generate new overseas trade as a result of the investment.
Quotes
"Canadian businesses rely on efficient and modern trade and transportation corridors to get their goods to market in our country and around the world. This investment will reduce congestion and travel times in our communities, give people safer ways to move around, and keep our businesses competitive, while creating hundreds of good, well-paying middle class jobs for Canadians."
The Honourable Bernadette Jordan
Minister of Rural Economic Development and Member of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margarets
"Our government is investing in Canada's economy by making improvements to our trade and transportation corridors. We are supporting projects to efficiently move goods to market and people to their destinations, stimulate economic growth, create quality middle-class jobs, and ensure that Canada's transportation networks remain competitive and efficient."
The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport
"Strategic investments in transportation infrastructure are vital to our economy as countless local businesses depend on their ability to move goods quickly and efficiently. Today's investment in a new interchange on Highway 103 ensures Nova Scotians have the infrastructure they need to grow their businesses, stay competitive and get more products to market."
The Honourable Stephen McNeil
Premier of Nova Scotia
Quick facts
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An efficient and reliable transportation network is key to Canada's economic growth. The Government of Canada, through the National Trade Corridors Fund, is making investments that will support the flow of goods to international markets. While the United States continues to be Canada's top trade partner with $741.4 billion in trade ($437.6 billion exported, $303.8 billion imported) in 2018, trade is growing with international markets. From 2015 to 2018, trade with Asia (excluding the Middle East) grew by 18.9 per cent to $199.2 billion and trade with the European Union grew by 19 per cent since 2015 to $118.1 billion in 2018.
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Canada's National Highway System is an evolution of the Trans-Canada Highway concept originally launched in 1949 to connect all the provinces together by highway.
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The National Highway System comprises over 38,000 lane-kilometres linking Canadian cities, ports, airports, and border crossings.
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The Government of Canada is making investments that help Canadian exporters accelerate their presence in new markets, and take advantage of the new opportunities that exist because of the trade agreements the Government has secured in the past three years. By investing in export-intensive industries, the Government is committed to the creation of well-paying jobs and strengthening Canada's economy.
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Through the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
