PM's visit to port provided chance to showcase growth, says CEO

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Pride, reflection and the future were all centre stage at Port Saint John earlier this week as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau toured the site and discussed operations with port officials.

The prime minister, who was in Saint John to make a funding announcement regarding housing, also visited Port Saint John and spoke with CEO and president Craig Bell Estabrooks. The visit did not include any announcements and the prime minister did not speak to media, but it did offer Bell Estabrooks an opportunity to showcase the work that has taken place at the port while also looking ahead, he said.

“I would say it was kind of a great mix of pride and reflection,” Bell Estabrooks said following the visit. “It took so many years for us to put in place this world-class infrastructure that’s now being used. So, to have the prime minister here, the leader of our country here, to witness two container ships in… I think we’re just really proud in what we’ve been able to create and what it means for the community.”

Bell Estabrooks stressed the economic opportunities and jobs created by the port and said he discussed with Trudeau the importance of partnerships and how working with the government has benefitted the port. He also had a chance to reflect on the port’s growth.

“Just being able to look out, to see the prime minister, to see everyone that was there and enjoying the moment, and to look down that pier and see something that, just, fundamentally, we wouldn’t have thought of 12 to 13 years ago… It just looks so different,” he said.

Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon, who was one of a handful of officials included in Wednesday’s tour, shared similar thoughts as Bell Estabrooks, noting being able to see Trudeau witness the port’s activity and growth was a proud moment.

“I thought it was great to have him here and see the layout, to see how it’s working and that it’s busy. I think the port is huge to the economy in Saint John, to the growth of Saint John,” she said. “It’s all very positive. We want to grow our economy, we want to grow our population and the port is strategic in reaching those goals for the city.”

Looking ahead, Bell Estabrooks said there was discussion about the port’s future with the prime minister and how that future and further infrastructure investment is beneficial not just to the local region but also on a national scale.

“Our team is absolutely thinking about the future and what other improvements we can make and we did have the opportunity to just mention to the prime minister that there are more things that are coming,” he said, noting Trudeau was very “engaged” in hearing about the operations and the future.

“The federal government, and the provincial government, are always very interested. It’s always a two-way conversation between the port authority and the government because they’re interested in seeing what’s next from us, too. Everyone knows that ports are such key partners of the supply chain,” he said. “When a port can be thriving and growing…. It’s always a two-way dialogue. They have needs, too, so it’s always a two-way conversation.”