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Mayor Brain meets with Alaska to solve ferry terminal stalemate

Prince Rupert mayor said he’s made progress in negotiations with Alaska on its out-of-date terminal
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Mayor Lee Brain with Alaska Governor Bill Walker and Alaska Lt. Governor Byron Mallott. (Mayor Lee Brain photo)

A possible solution for the aging Alaska Marine Highway terminal in Prince Rupert is in the works.

“This year a lot of progress has been made,” Mayor Lee Brain said after his most recent visit to Ottawa and Alaska to discuss the matter.

Brain said the State of Alaska has asked for a waver from their own government for the terminal upgrade project to avoid any more delays. The mayor is hopeful the waver will come through and the ferry terminal will be replaced at last.

The terminal is a key link to the northern transportation network, and is in need of approximately $15 million in upgrades. In 2013, the Port of Prince Rupert entered a 50-year lease with the Alaska Marine Highway, which agreed to maintain the terminal.

READ MORE: Prince Rupert Alaskan Marine Highway terminal upgrade possibly cancelled

Planned upgrades to the terminal reached a standstill approximately four years ago. The complication is over Buy American trade laws that would require the terminal upgrades to be done using American labour, iron and steel. However, Canada’s Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act (FEMA) blocks the application of foreign laws that would prevent Canadian companies from supplying the labour and or supplies.

Mayor Brain travelled to Ottawa the end of January for meetings with the federal government and the U.S. embassy, and then on Feb. 13 he went to the mid-session of the Alaska Southeast Conference where he discussed the future of the Alaska Marine Highway terminal.

A Prince Rupert delegation will travel to Alaska for more discussions in Sept. 12-14 for the Southeast Conference annual meeting.

 

shannon.lough@thenorthernview.com 

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