Industry has a role to play. Take Port Vancouver's recent announcement that it is planning to build a third cruiseship berth at Canada Place. When it opens in 2003, it will be an excellent complement to the Port's two existing cruiseship terminals. Vancouver International Airport's expansion projects over the last four years are another case in point. As part of this expansion, the Authority also undertook the construction of a new Category III parallel runway, one that's enabled the airport to support a much larger base of flights.
Government also has a role to play.
In fact, we consider ourselves to be an important partner in helping Vancouver stay competitive in the years ahead. The innovation and creative thinking demonstrated by the Vancouver Port Authority and the Vancouver International Airport Authority is an embodiment of the kind of environment we hoped to foster when we implemented our Canada Marine Act and National Airports Policy, and then transferred ports and airports to local groups that could run them more efficiently than government. While Transport Canada no longer runs these facilities, we still have responsibilities. Take air access, for instance. As such, maintaining a healthy and competitive aviation industry is a high priority.