Prince Rupert Mayor Lee Brain addresses the Southeast Conference Tuesday in Juneau. (Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)
Prince Rupert leaders are in Juneau this week to lobby for continued connections with Southeast Alaska.
Budget cuts threaten to reduce state ferry sailings to and from the British Columbia port city. And policy differences over using U.S. vs. Canadian steel have blocked construction of a new ferry terminal there.
Rupert Mayor Lee Brain says the marine highway link helps economies on both sides of the border.
The ferry Taku loads up at the Prince Rupert, B.C., ferry terminal July 24, 2014. Rupert officials are in Juneau, lobbying for continued ferry service. (Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)
“We see Prince Rupert as Canada’s gateway to Alaska. This is the quickest way to get to Alaska. Most people don’t want to drive through the Yukon up to Alaska. So, we see this as a very important economic and partnership opportunity to continue on with this link,” he says.
The Rupert delegation is meeting with Gov. Bill Walker and the House and Senate Transportation Committees.
The Prince Rupert mayor says Southeast Alaska should also pay attention to major construction projects planned for his city. They include container port expansion and plans for up to six liquefied natural gas plants.
“We don’t see it as just as a Prince Rupert opportunity. We see it as an opportunity for Alaska as well, that there might be an opportunity for trade and commerce and increased tourism,” he says.
Brain spoke at the Southeast Conference Mid-Session Summit being held in Juneau.
