No. H 176/07
For release September 21, 2007

Appointment to Prince Rupert Port Authority

OTTAWA — The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced the appointment of Mr. Kerry L. Hawkins to the board of directors of the Prince Rupert Port Authority.

"Mr. Hawkins' vast experience in the grain industry and the Canadian business community will serve the Authority well," said Minister Cannon. "I'm very pleased that he has agreed to join the board of directors of the Prince Rupert Port Authority."

Mr. Hawkins holds a degree in business economics from North Dakota State University. He recently retired as president of Cargill Limited, a Canadian agricultural, food and processing company. He began his career with the company in 1964, working in grain trading and operations in several north american and international company offices. He has served as a member, director and chair of several boards, including the Conference Board of Canada, the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, the C.D. Howe Institute, the National Marine Industrial Council, the Business Council of Manitoba, and Prince Rupert Grain Limited. He currently sits on the boards of directors of TransCanada Pipelines Limited, NOVA Chemicals Corporation, National Leasing Group, and Manitoba Blue Cross. He has also served with, and been recognized for his contributions to, several community organizations. Mr. Hawkins has been appointed to the board of directors of the Prince Rupert Port Authority as user representative for a period of three years.

The Prince Rupert Port Authority is the Canada Port Authority (CPA) established to manage the Port of Prince Rupert, effective May 1, 1999, under the Canada Marine Act. As a CPA, the Prince Rupert Port Authority benefits from greater management flexibility, including increased freedom to develop contracts and borrow money from commercial lenders.

The Port of Prince Rupert is the second largest deep-sea port on Canada's West Coast and the deepest natural harbour in North America. With dedicated grain, coal, forest products, specialty grain and general cargo handling facilities, the port handles more than 7.7 million tonnes of cargo traffic annually. The port also has dedicated cruise passenger handling facilities.

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