Major shippers CN Rail and China Ocean Shipping are taking notice of the opportunities in Prince George.
China Ocean Shipping (COSCO) Canada new president Bo Liang met with representatives from CN Rail, Initiatives Prince George and the Prince George Airport in Prince George on Monday.
Liang didn't take questions from the media, but COSCO Canada executive vice president Dave Bedwell said the company is impressed with the potential of the region.
"What China wants, this region has," Bedwell said. "There is a huge bright future here, and if there is a bright future for the localized exports from this region, then there is a bright future for us as COSCO container shippers out of the Port of Prince Rupert."
The expansion of the railroad corridor at the Port of Prince Rupert will benefit shippers when complete, Bedwell said.
Part of what the trip is about is making Prince George more than, "a dot on the map," for the parent company in China, he added.
CN Rail international intermodal sales manager Russ Purdue said the container loading facility in Prince George started with nothing and is now loading approximately 400 containers a week.
In August CN Rail announced a $3.2 million expansion of its Prince George facility to increase the capacity from 20,000 containers per year to 30,000 containers.
"Definitely we're seeing the signs of a recession in North America. But there are from some very bright spots - and this is one," Purdue said.
Initiatives Prince George president Tim McEwan said the meeting was an opportunity to highlight the region's potential in an unstable global economy.
"What we did today is introduce to COSCO the opportunities we have in Prince George," McEwan said.
