Media Release
CWF applauds prairie transport ministers’ Memorandum of Understanding to advance economic corridors
April 12, 2023 — Calgary, AB — The Canada West Foundation applauds the governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to take collective action to improve Western Canada’s interconnected road, rail, air and port corridors.
The April 11 agreement focuses efforts to align transportation and logistics corridors with the end goal of increasing trade and growing Western Canada’s economy. Canada West Foundation is pleased to have worked closely with the prairie provinces in support of their efforts to collaborate on this agreement.
The prairie provinces are Canada’s export leaders to the booming global middle class populations of the Indo-Pacific region. With trade accounting for 65 per cent of Canada’s national income, this MOU sends a strong signal to customers in those key markets of the priority of returning Canada to its prior top 10 position in global rankings of trade infrastructure from its current rank of 32nd.
Based on a decade of research with a coalition of private sector stakeholders, the Canada West Foundation recently recommended a permanent, long-term national infrastructure plan based upon international best practices and Canada’s own past successes. This MOU represents a step in that direction.
“Foreign customers, including Americans and those in Asia, will welcome this concrete initiative to improve trade infrastructure reliability.”
Carlo Dade, Director of the Trade and Investment Centre
“This MOU reflects an important understanding that trade corridors and supply chains don’t end at provincial borders but are instead interconnected and interdependent systems which operate across subnational, national and international regions.”
John Law, Senior Fellow, Canada West Foundation
For the complete set of recommendations and detailed background see:
REPORT | From Shovel Ready to Shovel Worthy: The Path to a National Trade Infrastructure Plan for the Next Generation of Economic Growth
John Law with Carlo Dade, May 2022
SUBMISSION | National Infrastructure Assessment
John Law and Carlo Dade, July 2021
WHAT NOW? Policy Brief | Building a Bridge to Trade Opportunities: A long-term approach to trade infrastructure planning
Carlo Dade and John Law, October 2019
SUMMARY | Strategic Trade Infrastructure Roundtable with Minister Sohi
Naomi Christensen, John Law and Carlo Dade, February 2017
REPORT | Some Assembly Required: Cross-border infrastructure that creates jobs and growth
Shafak Sajid and Carlo Dade, November 2016
REPORT | The Infrastructure that Matters Most
Canadian Chamber of Commerce, John Law, July 2016
REPORT | Building on Advantage: Improving Canada’s trade infrastructure
John Law and Carlo Dade with Mike Holden, November 2014
For information or interview:
Ruth Klinkhammer
Communications Director
(403) 852-7651 or