Study highlights major impact of Canada’s maritime private sector

Ottawa – The National Maritime Group, a coalition of private sector maritime employers and operators from coast to coast and through the St. Lawrence, today released their national Economic Impact Study by InterVISTAS. The Economic Impact Study confirmed that where ships meet shore, Canada’s private sector maritime employers and operators play a crucial role in the national supply chain. The coalition’s membership contributes $4.3 billion annually to the national GDP, over $8.5 billion in economic output and more than 213,000 jobs at Canada’s ports depend on coalition member operations.

Co-executive Director Rob MacKay-Dunn on the release of the report:  “Today is an important day for the National Maritime Group, as we continue to advocate for our members, who are the ones responsible for handling cargo safely and efficiently at Canada’s ports.

 “The economic impact of the over 100 maritime employers and operators across 5 provinces clearly demonstrates the importance of our sector to all Canadians.”

Co-Executive Director Isabelle Pelletier stated: “Now more than ever, we must prioritize Canada’s competitiveness. Our members work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to connect Canada to the rest of the world by safely and efficiently handling over $790 million worth of cargo daily from coast to coast and through the St. Lawrence.”

The final report highlighted the crucial role of coalition members in driving Canada’s overall economic and social prosperity, including:

• Directly employing 14,810 workers earning close to $1.6 billion in direct wages and other labour income including generous benefits packages.
• More than 213,000 jobs at Canada’s ports depend on coalition member operations.
• Investing over $48 million in training and upskilling and recruiting over 800 longshore workers to meet the current and forecasted needs of Canadian ports in 2022.
• Directly contributing $2.1 billion annually to the national GDP and $4.3 billion in economic output.
• Contributing over $1 billion in tax revenues annually to all levels of government including Canadian port authority fees and land lease payments.

Mr. MacKay-Dunn added, “Canada’s maritime employers and operators play a key role in ensuring vital consumer goods make their way to Canadians and crucial Canadian exports like lumber, agriculture and critical minerals make their way around the world.”

The National Maritime Group and its members are in Ottawa this week, speaking to policy makers and government officials on the importance of the sector and will continue to advocate on behalf of its members.

“Our engagement efforts are important to ensure that private sector maritime organizations operating in Canada have a voice at the decision making table. It is essential for us to work in partnership with government to maintain and improve competitiveness and resilience of our supply chain, in the best interest of all Canadians” concluded Ms.  Pelletier. (Photo: Administration portuaire de Montréal)