FEATURE
By Craig Slater,
Martin Charlton Communications
When it comes to in-ternational
competi-tion,
Canada is often
the country that comes out on top. If only
hockey and curling could fuel the Canadi-an
economy. Sadly, that’s not a reality.
When we’re talking trade and transpor-tation
infrastructure, Canada’s status has
been in decline. Seven years ago, Canada
ranked a respectable ninth in the world
when it came to the quality of trade and
transportation infrastructure, as measured
by the World Economic Competitiveness
Index. However, that ranking has steadi-ly
dropped over recent years to 15th and
then to 19th. In 2016, Canada ranked 23rd
globally.
That’s not an encouraging statistic when
you consider approximately 60 per cent of
Canada’s gross domestic product is tied to
exported goods to international markets.
Couple that with a growing list of compet-itors,
especially in Asia and India where
there’s more disposable income than ever,
and Canada finds itself in a heated battle
for trade partners.
Take for instance the ordeal in 2013–14,
where a backlog of railcars loaded with pre-cious
grain sat idle on rail lines. The impact-ed
cost on the economy ranged between $3
billion to $8 billion. Canada’s reputation as
a reliable and efficient trade partner took a
hit as well.
“You don’t recover from these things
right away,” said John Law, a senior staff-er
with the Canada West Foundation
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