Representative Ortiz visited Prince Rupert, British Columbia (B.C.) this week to meet with Canadian officials. He met with Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Blake Ward Chief Financial Officer for Prince Rupert Corinne Bomben, Member of Legislative Assembly Jennifer Rice, City Councilors, and Mayor Lee Brain. The intent of these meetings was to find a solution to the current AMHS Prince Rupert port of entry requirements.
It recently became a requirement to provide armed law enforcement coverage for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers who provide clearance for Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) vessel passengers entering the U.S. from Prince Rupert. In a press release last week, the Department of Transportation stated that the requirement could not be fulfilled, and therefore, the AMHS route to Prince Rupert would cease on October 1, 2019.
After conversations in Prince Rupert, Representative Ortiz has been reassured that fulfilling the requirement is feasible and possible solutions will be presented to the Department and the Administration next week during meetings in Juneau.
“I’m very heartened by the overwhelming sense of support from all of the government officials here in B.C. and their commitment to maintain AMHS access to Prince Rupert. I look forward to Mayor Brain’s visit to Juneau next week; it’s my expectation that he will come forward with very viable options for the State of Alaska to maintain year-round AMHS access to Prince Rupert,” said Representative Ortiz.
Reader Comments(0)