The Port Alberni Port Authority (PAPA) has been invited to put together a submission for $500 million worth of funding for their proposed Port Alberni Transhipment Hub (PATH) at Sarita Bay.
PAPA first proposed the $1.7 billion major infrastructure project in 2013.
This latest invitation has come as a result of a submission PAPA made under the National Trade Corridors Fund. The new, more complete submission will be due by Nov. 6. If accepted, it means the federal government will kick in 20 percent share of the total cost of the project.
“This is a huge next step for us as a community,” said Mayor Mike Ruttan. “It’s transformative, not just for our community, but transformative for our Island. It has a huge potential impact on the economy of British Columbia and the economy of Canada.”
PATH will be done in partnership with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations. The other 80 percent of the funding is expected to come from international sources, according to Ruttan.