From the ivory towers of Ottawa, a federal cabinet minister tweeted out his preparations to visit Vancouver and ... Prince Rupert.
Minister of Transport Marc Garneau came to the city of rainbows on Jan. 14 for the first time in his life. It’s only been a couple months since Garneau — Canada’s first astronaut in space — was appointed to oversee the federal government’s transportation system, and he made a point of being in Rupert on one of his first tours to formalize a moratorium on crude oil tanker traffic on the North Coast.
His work could have been done from his office in Ottawa, as so many northerners like to point out politicians do, or even just in a quick trip to Vancouver, but he included Prince Rupert on his agenda to meet with different stakeholder groups, including First Nations, the shipping industry and environmentalists.
This short trip early in Garneau’s tenure proves that Rupert isn’t just the end of the rail line, but rather, the city is top of mind to key politicians in Ottawa. Through Garneau’s consultations he saw first hand the expansion of the container terminal and the bright future this city has.
He will now personally bring that knowledge back with him to the capital, instead of relying on a parliamentary secretary’s reports. It’s a sign of what may come.