Chapter 11 Port Devolution and Governance in Canada

The devolution of port authorities in Canada has not been without debate over the past 70 years. This paper provides a brief introduction to the role of ports in Canada and then examines the history of port policy and devolution, concluding that past policies were considered to have failed due to their inability to respond to changing circumstances. The paper then introduces the current port policy, and discusses its evaluation by two Review Panels. It draws conclusions about the three-pronged approach to port governance in Canada and the difficulties faced by ports under the existing policy, setting the stage for later chapters in the book.