(file photo/CKOM News Staff)

By CKOM News Staff

Prairie provinces join forces on transport corridor agreement

Apr 11, 2023 | 10:20 AM

The prairie provinces are working together to get their products to market in a safe, reliable and sustainable way.

Highways ministers from Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba are signing a memorandum of understanding intended to strengthen the economic corridors that are part of crucial supply chains.

The agreement commits all three provinces to jointly work towards improving their transportation systems, including improving the efficiency of highways and rail networks, encouraging the federal government to invest in infrastructure, and bringing provincial regulations into harmony to make life easier for businesses, industries and shippers.

Jeremy Corckrill, Saskatchewan’s highways minister, said exports are crucial to Saskatchewan’s economy.

“The world needs what Saskatchewan has to offer,” Cockrill said in a statement. “We rely on dependable, robust, road, rail, air and port networks to ship our food, fuel and fertilizer across North America and around the globe.”

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According to the provincial government, 73 per cent of the province’s economy depends on exports, and 2021 saw $37 billion in goods exported out of the province. The Saskatchewan Growth Plan also includes a pledge to increase exports by 50 per cent and expand the infrastructure used by exporters.

“With similar trade and transport access such as distance to markets, reliance on international ports and railway services, and similar commodity basis, Saskatchewan and Alberta are natural key partners to work with on improving trade-enablement through transportation,” Doyle Piwniuk, Manitoba’s transportation and infrastructure minister, added in a statement.

“Alberta is proud to partner with Saskatchewan and Manitoba, taking a leadership role in building new trade corridors that will help our provinces and our country,” said Devin Dreeshen, Alberta’s minister of transportation and economic corridors.