A Message from CEO Shannon Merrifield:
Why supporting your local Chamber is vital to community growth?
Chambers create the space where business and government connect in meaningful, practical ways. This is not just a conversation over a luncheon but sometimes the opportunity to shine on a national platform. These events help advance key community priorities – such as nation-building projects that strengthen supply chains, trade corridors, and long-term economic competitiveness. Through the Chamber network, local governments, business and community voices are elevated to the national level, informing federal policy and infrastructure decisions that have real, on-the-ground impact in regions like ours. Whether it’s ports, transportation infrastructure, or trade-enabling investments, these conversations help ensure projects are shaped by those who rely on them every day. Thank you to Government of Canada , Transport Canada – Transports Canada and Minister Steven MacKinnon for engaging directly with our business community and for recognizing the critical role Chambers play in connecting regional insight with national priorities.
A Once-in-a-Generation Moment for Saint John’s Future
Saint John is no stranger to ambition but moments like this remind us just how powerful shared vision can be.
This week, with the official completion of the $247 million West Side Modernization Project, Port Saint John has firmly secured its place as a critical gateway in Canada’s national supply chain. This isn’t just a ribbon-cutting or a milestone project, it’s the culmination of decades of planning, collaboration, and belief in what this region can become.
The Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce was proud to mark this moment by hosting a luncheon with the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, alongside Craig Bell- Estabrooks, President & CEO of Port Saint John. The conversation was energizing, grounded, and most importantly aligned. It was clear that governments, industry, and community leaders are speaking the same language: growth, resilience, and long-term prosperity.
The impact of the West Side Modernization Project is extraordinary. With expanded berths, a deepened channel, enhanced intermodal capabilities, the Port has transformed its container sector. Thanks to private-sector partners like DP World, CPKC and NB Southern Railway, throughput has surged nearly 400% over the past decade – growth that is already translating into jobs, GDP gains, and renewed confidence in our regional economy.
What excites me most, however, is what comes next.
We are standing at a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the next 100 years of growth for the Saint John region. Between the Port’s modernization, the 1.5 Billion dollar investment from JDI’s Next-Gen, the development potential in Lorneville, and critical discussions around upgrading Simms Corner, the pieces are coming together. This is how regions transform—not through one project, but through sustained momentum and coordinated action.
Growth at this scale is not just good for large industry. It creates a powerful trickle-down effect that benefits everyone, especially small and medium-sized businesses. From logistics and professional services to hospitality, construction, technology, and retail, SMEs are the backbone of our local economy. When the Port grows, the region grows and when the region grows, opportunity expands for entrepreneurs, workers, and families alike.
At the Chamber, we are proud to champion this progress. We support bold thinking, smart investment, and collaboration that puts Saint John on a global stage while strengthening our local community. Now is the time to dream big, to plan intentionally, and to act decisively.
The leaders are aligned. The investments are real. The momentum is undeniable.
Let’s seize this moment and build a Saint John region that is competitive, inclusive, and thriving for generations to come.
