NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2009TRAN0031-000564 March 30, 2009	Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
VICTORIA TOURISM BENEFITS FROM OGDEN POINT UPGRADE

VICTORIA – The Province is contributing $1.5 million through the Transportation Partnerships Program toward the construction of an offshore mooring pile at Ogden Point cruise ship terminal, which will improve the terminal’s berthing capacity.

 

The announcement was made today by Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Kevin Falcon, Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Bill Bennett, Minister of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development Ida Chong, and Greater Victoria Harbour Authority chair Don Prittie.

 

            “Through the Transportation Partnerships Program, we are making significant investments in infrastructure at our air and sea ports across the province,” said Falcon. “The cruise ship industry is an important driver of Victoria’s economy, and this project will ensure that the newer, larger cruise ships will be able to dock here.”

 

“Last fall, I asked leaders from the Greater Victoria Harbor Authority, Tourism Victoria and the Victoria Chamber of Commerce for their top tourism-related priorities for Victoria. Increased capacity at the Ogden Point cruise ship terminal was a top priority on each list,” said Bennett. “The result of this partnership will produce a much needed asset for tourism in Victoria."

 

The $4.5 million project will see a single-pile mooring dolphin anchored in the seabed 70 metres off the end of Pier B at Ogden Point, extending the berthing ability of the pier without extending the pier itself. With the mooring dolphin in place, the next generation of cruise ships, at 350 metres long, can make Victoria a port of call. Pier B at Ogden Point is 244 metres long.

 

“The ability for larger cruise ships to berth in Victoria is a competitive advantage for the terminal, and a positive for the Capital Region’s economy,” said Chong. “It’s estimated that the new ships serving Alaska will increase direct spending in our community by over $1.8 million annually.”

 

“This is great news for Greater Victoria,” said Don Prittie, chair of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. “The pier extension project is essential for the safety and retention of the current ships calling our city. The project will enable the Ogden Point Terminal to be uniquely positioned to welcome the next generation of cruise ships.”

 

 

The Province is providing the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority with one-third of total project costs, up to $1.5 million. With this investment, the Province’s Transportation Partnerships Program has provided over $65 million for improvements at 36 air and marine ports across the province since 2003.

 

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Media contact:	Jeff Knight Public Affairs Bureau Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 250 356-7707
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