[Saint John] Port Development

[bingun]

Nice to see CTV giving some detailed coverage of the port and providing some general updates.

I assume the National Trade Diversification Fund he references is the National Trade Corridors Fund? It would be great to see an update on that next month, and that is sooner than I would have expected.

Port Saint John reports record year in 2025

https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/new-brunswick/article/port-saint-john-reports-record-year-in-2025/

“We’re proud that we’re going to be well over 200,000 TEU’s – 20-foot equivalent containers – probably trending closer to 240 by the end of this year. That’s a dramatic increase considering we were about 86,00 four years ago.”

Bell Estabrooks says there are always going to be supply chain challenges but he predicts continued growth that will see the port moving upwards of 300,000 TEU’s within the next two years.

Bell Estabrooks says the port has no intention of slowing down now that the modernization project is complete. He says there are big plans in the annual capital budget have already passed through the board and plans with the National Trade Diversification Fund that are slated for release next month. He said there are plans to improve rail operations and make other infrastructure improvements including generational plans for the well known Saint John intersection, Simms Corner.

One area showing no sign of change is the American Iron and Metals property along the harbour that has been silent since a toxic fire in September 2023. Bell Estabrooks says there is no update on the matter and to his knowledge remediation work still needs to take place.