Toronto (March 12, 2018) – PortsToronto welcomed the announcement earlier today by Minister of Transport, The Honourable Marc Garneau, regarding a review by Transport Canada of all Canadian Port Authorities. The review, expected to begin this spring, will study such areas as innovation and trade logistics, safety and security, community engagement, sustainability and governance.
 
With more than 100 years on Toronto’s waterfront, PortsToronto, formerly known as Toronto Port Authority, has made significant enhancements in these areas in recent years and is looking forward to working with Transport Canada to share best practices and identify areas for increased innovation and investment.
 
“The Canadian Port Review is a tremendous opportunity to look at how ports operate throughout Canada and share best practices and information that can ensure that Canadian ports remain competitive and innovate to remain relevant,” said Geoffrey Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, PortsToronto. “Canadian ports currently handle more than 60 per cent of Canada’s commercial cargo and are vital to the movement of goods. For its part, the Port of Toronto is coming off its most successful year in more than a decade moving more than 2.2 million metric tonnes of cargo that is essential for Toronto, providing salt for our roads, sugar for our food industry, and concrete and aggregate for our booming construction industry.”
 
“PortsToronto has long adhered to best practices around governance, financial reporting, executive and Board expense disclosures, sustainability, security and community investment and engagement,” continued Wilson. “This review provides the opportunity to share these best practices and identify opportunities for greater innovation, growth and investment so that the Port of Toronto can remain an important asset for the City of Toronto, play an important role in the national transportation system, and be an important contributor to the Canadian economy.”
 
Best practices implemented to date by PortsToronto include measures implemented with regard to governance, which include designing a new User Group Director Nomination process that harmonizes the nomination framework established in its Letters Patent with the federal government’s open, transparent and merit-based process for public appointments. This User Group Director Nomination process was endorsed by Transport Canada in 2016 and has been suggested as a best practice for other Canadian Port Authorities. In 2016, PortsToronto also revised its Corporate Governance Manual, consisting of its Board Mandate and Committee Charters, to reflect best practices from other industry leaders. 
 
With regard to sustainability, PortsToronto recently published its third-annual Sustainability Report where it details its efforts to reduce its environmental impact and employ measures to support a strong and healthy environment. This includes significant investment in such programs as Bullfrog Power, which powers all of PortsToronto’s operations including the port, and engagement with the community and Indigenous peoples in the form of regular public meetings and communication. 
 
The Canadian Port Authority Review will commence in spring 2018 and conclude in 2019. The findings of the review will identify potential policy, legislative and regulatory changes to Canada’s port system.
 
About the Port of Toronto (https://www.portstoronto.com/port-of-toronto.aspx)
The Port of Toronto, one of Canada's largest major inland ports, is situated on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario. For over 100 years, the Port of Toronto has been connecting Toronto to every continent on earth. Located minutes from Toronto’s downtown core, the Port provides a seamless network of cost-effective intermodal links to road, rail and air transportation, serving as a unique and crucial piece of economic infrastructure. In an average year, nearly two million tonnes of cargo pass through Toronto’s Port, taking tens of thousands of trucks off Ontario’s congested highways. In addition to moving cargo, the Port also welcomes cruise ships and passengers from around the globe through the Cruise Ship Terminal. The Port of Toronto continues to be a vital connection to the world, not only boosting tourism and trade, but also helping to lower Toronto’s carbon footprint.
 
About PortsToronto (https://www.portstoronto.com)
For more than 100 years PortsToronto has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomed more than 2.7 million passengers in 2016; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and, Terminals 51 and 52, which provide transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $9 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government.
   
Media Contact:
Jen Brailsford, Communications Officer
PortsToronto
Tel: (416) 863-2016
Cell: (647) 298-0585
E-mail: jbrailsford@portstoronto.com