Newfot&17dl.andGovernmentofNewfoundlandandLabrador &DepartmentofTransportationandInfrastructure LabradorOfficeoftheMinister COR/2023/13581-004OCT192023 TheHonourableJimQuinn Senator(NewBrunswick) SenateofCanada EastBlock,Room351 Email:jim.guinnsen.parl.gc.ca DearSenatorQuinn: ThankyouforyourrecentcorrespondencewithrespecttotheSenateCommitteeonTransport andCommunications’examinationoftheimpactsofclimatechangeoncriticalinfrastructurein thetransportationandcommunicationssectors,andyourspecificinterestregardingthe strategicimportanceoftheChignectoIsthmus.

IsincerelyappreciatetheinvitationfromtheCommitteetoattenditsupcominghearing.Asthe provincialHouseofAssemblyiscurrentlyinsession,Iamnotinapositiontomake representationtoCommitteedirectly,however,Iacknowledgetheimportanceofthesubject underconsiderationandampleasedtoprovidethissubmissiononbehalfoftheDepartmentof TransportationandInfrastructure.

InNewfoundlandandLabrador,asinallprovincesandterritories,thechangingclimatehas presentedsignificantchallengeswithrespecttoinfrastructure.Majorweatherevents,suchas dramaticsnowstorms,excessivewinds,stormsurge,andsevererainfallshaveallstressed provincialroads,bridgesandotherformsofinfrastructure.Theseeventshavedisruptedlivesat greatcosttoindividualsandsocietyasawhole.Thiswasespeciallyevidentfollowingthe extremeraineventthatoccurredinNovember2021andHurricaneFionainSeptember2022, bothofwhichimpactedthesouthwestcoastoftheisland.

Thesehistoricandunprecedentedweathereventsposedenormouschallengesforresidentsof theregionandnecessitatedimmediate,government-wideemergencyresponseandrecovery effortstoensurepublicsafetyandtoaddressthesignificantimpactsonpersonalandpublic infrastructure.IntheaftermathoftheNovember2021storm,majorroadways,includingportions oftheTrans-CanadaHighwayneartheTownofChannel-PortauxBasques,werebreached, closingoffaprimaryentrypointtotheprovince.Foraperiodoftime,passengermovements andcriticalfreightshippedviaMarineAtlanticferriesfromNorthSydneyhadtobedivertedfrom P.O.Box8700,St.John’s,NL,CanadaA1B4J6Tel:7097293678Fax:7097294285www.gov.nl.calti 2 TewtoiiiftandLabr&ador PortauxBasquestoanalternateportinordertoensureessentialgoodscouldcontinuetobe delivered.

Withmajorclimateeventsoccurringmorefrequently,ithasbeennecessaryforNewfoundland andLabradortobuildgreaterclimateresiliencyintoinfrastructureinvestmentstoensureneeded improvementsaremadetowithstandthechallengesoftodayandtomorrow.Indeed,inMarch 2023,theProvinceannouncedanhistoricinvestmentofnearly$1.4billiontoimprovehighway androadtransportationinfrastructureoverthenextfiveconstructionseasons.Extensiverepair andremediationofculverts,bridgesandotherhighwayinfrastructureiscurrentlyunderwayand aclimatelensisappliedaspartofallprojects.

TheProvincehasalsoworkedcloselywithfederalpartnerstoleveragesharedresourcesto advancemajorprojects,includingajointinvestmentannouncedinMay2023ofmorethan$306 milliontoexpandtheTrans-CanadaHighwaybyaddingtwoadditionaldividedhighway sections.Projectssuchasthis,andthebroaderinvestmentsbeingmadebyNewfoundlandand Labrador,helpstrengthenthereliabilityofyear-roundconnectionsbetweencommunities,while alsomakingourroadssaferandmoreresilientfromaclimatechangeperspective.The modernizationofourprovincialroadshelpsensureourresidentsareconnectedtoservice centresthatofferhealthcareandothergovernment-relatedsupports,whilealsostrengthening oursupplychainsandfacilitatingthemovementofgoodsandpeoplewhicharekeytoeconomic security.

NewfoundlandandLabradortakesseriouslytheimpactsofclimatechangeandtheveryreal impactithasoncriticaltransportationinfrastructureandthepeoplewhorelyuponit.Iwantto recognizetheimportantworktheSenateCommitteeonTransportandCommunicationshas initiatedonthistopicandregistermystrongacknowledgementofthestrategicimportanceofthe ChignectoIsthmus.ThisparceloflandwhichconnectstheprovincesofNewBrunswickand NovaScotiacarriesincredibleimportancetoNewfoundlandandLabrador.Theisthmusishome totheonlyroadandrailconnectionbetweenthetwoprovincesandservesasavitalcorridorfor themovementofgoods,servicesandpeoplethroughouttheAtlanticProvinces.

TheTrans-CanadaHighwaypassesthroughtheChignectoIsthmusandresidentsandvisitors toNewfoundlandandLabradortravellingbyroadmustaccessthishighwaytoreachtheMarine AtlanticterminallocatedinNorthSydney.MarineAtlanticisoneofthemostimportant transportationsystemsforourprovince,providingservicesontworoutes:ayear-roundferry servicethatisconstitutionallyguaranteed,betweenPortauxBasquesandNorthSydney,anda seasonal(JunetoSeptember)ferryservicebetweenArgentiaandNorthSydney.These P0.Box8700,St.John’s,NL,CanadaAlB4J6Tel:7097293678Fax:7097294285www.gov.nl.ca/ti 3 ewto/flandLabr&ador servicesnotonlyprovidetheessentialtransportationoffood,medicineandothergoods,butthe transportationofpassengersthatsupportourtourismindustry,avitalsectoroftheprovincial economy.Tourismgeneratesapproximately$1.3billionannuallyinNewfoundlandand Labrador.

Withrespecttothefishery,itiscrucialthattheseafoodindustryhasaneffectiveandefficient transportationsystemtoexportourfishproducts.Areliableandcosteffectiveferryserviceis especiallyimportantwhenconsideringthetime-sensitive,logisticalrequirementsoftransporting liveandfreshproductssuchaslobster,salmon,mussels,oysters,codandhalibut.

NewfoundlandandLabradorexportsroughly$1.4billioninseafoodyearly.In2022,for example,over38thousandtonnesofprovincialseafoodexports,valuedat$800million,were shippedviagroundtransportationtotheUnitedStates,accountingfor42percentofexport volumeand64percentofexportvalue.TheMarineAtlanticferryservice,andbyextensionthe surfacecorridorprovidedbytheChignectoIsthmus,representsavitaltransportationlink, connectingourfishandseafoodproductstoimportantmarketsinNorthAmericaandaroundthe globe.Somewherebetweensixandseventhousandtractortrailerloadsofseafoodareshipped throughthePortauxBasquesferryterminaleveryyear.

Fromabroadersupplychainperspective,theAtlanticTruckingAssociationhasestimatedthat intheorderof$35billionworthofgoodsandservicescrossthroughtheisthmusyearly.While thisfigurereflectsanorderofmagnitudefortheentireregion,theeconomicimportanceofthis tradecorridorforNewfoundlandandLabradorcannotbeoverstated.Themajorityofconsumer goodsconsumedinourprovinceareshippedthroughtheisthmus,includinggroceries, medicines,propane,aggregate,etc.Thiswouldincludefrozen/freshgroceriesandother“time sensitive”consumables.IfnottransportedtotheprovincebyMarineAtlantictheseproducts arriveonOceanexvessels,includingviathePortofHalifax,withbothservicesdependentona reliableandsaferoadandrailnetworkthroughtheisthmus.

TheDepartmentofTransportationandInfrastructureacknowledgesthatiftheChignecto Isthmusweretobecomeimpassable,evenforashortperiodoftime,theinterruptiontosupply chainsandcriticalpublicaccesstoandfromtheremainderofCanadawouldbedamagingto boththeeconomyandthepeopleofNewfoundlandandLabrador.Prolongeddisruptionswould alsohavepublicsafetyimpactsasaccesstoessentialgoods,includingfood,fuels,medical suppliesandothernecessitieswouldbecompromised.

P.O.Box8700,St.John’s,NL,CanadaAIB4J6Tel:7097293678Fax:7097294285www.gov.nI.ca/ti 4 FTewroiiIdlandLabr&Ior StabilizingthetransportationinfrastructurelocatedontheChignectoIsthmusandsafeguarding thisimportantAtlanticcorridorisapriorityandonewhichAtlanticPremiersrecognizedduring theirJune12,2023meetingwiththefollowingstatement: TheChignectoIsthmusbetweenNewBrunswickandNovaScotiaisavitalcorridoratriskdue torisingsealevels.Premiersreiteratedthatthefederalgovernmenthasaconstitutional responsibilitytomaintainlinksbetweenprovincesandfullyfundthisproject.1 Iwanttothankyouagainforinvitingmetoofferperspectiveonthesubjectofclimatechange anditsimpactsoncriticalinfrastructureinthetransportationandcommunicationssectors,and thestrategicimportanceoftheChignectoIsthmus.TheDepartmentofTransportationand Infrastructurerecognizesthevitalnatureofthiscorridorandissupportiveofongoing intergovernmentalengagementbyjurisdictionstoprotectthiscriticalpassageway.

IwishtheCommitteepositivedeliberationsonthisimportanttopic Sincerely, HO.JOHNG.ABBOTT,MHA DirtofSt.John’sEast-QuidiVidi Minister “Avoidtheworst.Putsafetyfirst” cc.HonourableDr.AndrewFurey PremierandMinisterforIntergovernmentalAffairs HonourableSteveCrocker MinisterofTourism,Culture,ArtsandRecreation HonourableElvisLoveless MinisterofFisheries,ForestryandAgriculture HonourableAndrewParsons,K.C.

MinisterofIndustry,EnergyandTechnology ‘AtlanticPremiersWorkTogethertoImproveHealthCareandStrengthentheAtlanticEconomy—ThecouncilofAtlantic Premierstcaø-cma.ca)—https://cap-cpma.ca/atlantic-premiers-work-together-to-improve-health-care-and-strengthen the-atlantic-economy/ P.O.Box8700,St.Johns,NL,CanadaA1B4J6Tel:7097293678Fax:7097294285www.gov.nl.ca/ti