Canada pledged on Friday to spend up to C$590 million ($496.8 million) to improve shipping through its Pacific coast ports as it eyes increased trade with Asia and China.
Ottawa said C$190 million will be spent immediately on projects to improve transportation infrastructure on the British Columbia coast, and to help customs officials handle the expected increase in import and export volumes.
The Port of Vancouver, Canada's busiest port, has been hit by congestion problems in recent years as surges in container traffic taxed rail lines and highway that link the facility to the rest of Canada and the US Midwest. A container port is also under construction in Prince Rupert and two pipelines have been proposed that would allow crude from Alberta's oil sands to be exported to Asia via Kitimat or another port.
The Liberal government's announcement drew praise from the Retail Council of Canada and the country's two major rail carriers, Canadian National Railway Co and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.
The opposition Conservative Party said the government's decision to spend C$35 million for an advisory council on the region's transportation needs created unnecessary bureaucracy.