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BC Chamber of Commerce Welcomes Announcement of Investment in Evergreen
February 26, 2009 – The British Columbia Chamber of Commerce welcomed the announcement today by Prime Minister Harper and Premier Campbell that saw the Federal Government match the commitment already made by the province and by Translink to invest in the construction of the Evergreen Line.
“Our members throughout the province recognize investments in transportation as carrying huge provincial significance, given the integrated nature of the transportation network, and BC’s role as the Gateway to Asia Pacific,” stated John Winter, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce. “Our continued growth as a province, both in terms of population and as a Gateway to Asia Pacific, our ability to move goods, services and people will be greatly enhanced by such a dramatic expansion in public transit.”
Construction of the project, which will link Burnaby and Coquitlam with an 11-km route, will commence at the end of 2010 and will be completed in 2014. The construction will create and maintain 8,000 jobs over that time span.
“The Province of British Columbia is promoted internationally as a world-class destination, with the Greater Vancouver Region as the gateway to the province,” added Winter. “It is vital for the region to have facilities and infrastructure to handle the existing demand and to alleviate transportation gridlock in the Lower Mainland. This isn’t only a matter of convenience and advancement – it will also reduce the burden of emissions on our environment and help to keep British Columbia beautiful. This announcement shows a commitment by all levels of government to accomplish all these things.”
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For more information contact:
John Winter
President and CEO
BC Chamber of Commerce
D 604.638.8110
C 604.376.3577
E jwinter@bcchamber.org