Impact

The Halifax Gateway Council (HGC) has a significant economic impact on the city’s jobs, payroll and tax revenues. According to the 2005 Gateway Council’s Economic Impact Study, the HGC directly employs 11,200 people with wages of $477 million.

The direct economic output of the HGC is $3.7 billion, which is made up of purchased materials, services, capital, wages, indirect and induced outputs. In addition, taxes paid by the HGC total roughly $254 million annually, and the Gateway’s businesses make up some of the more significant taxpayers in their communities.

The Gateway is made up of the Port of Halifax, the Halifax Stanfield International Airport and the rail and road infrastructure that connect these facilities to each other.

The HGC is responsible for travel, tourism, exporting and importing. The price of imports, including automobiles and electronics from Asia, are directly impacted by the Gateway transportation system. In Atlantic Canada, businesses rely on the Halifax gateway for travel, exporting their products, and receiving goods.

Tourism and business travel are large contributors to local, provincial and national economies. For this reason, the HGC is critical for ensuring the travel experience is positive for the over three million air passengers relying on the Halifax Gateway.

The HGC also contributes to the economic growth of the province by attracting new business from international companies. Competition with other gateway councils is strong. Strong efforts need to continue to be made by the HGC in order to compete with other ports, including the Greater Vancouver Port which receives a significant number of shipments from the Asia Pacific region.