Appointment to Blue Water Bridge Authority

OTTAWA, Nov. 28, 2012 /CNW/ - The Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport), today announced the appointment of Mr. Gary Atkinson to the Blue Water Bridge Authority for a term of four years.

"I am pleased Mr. Atkinson has agreed to serve on the board of the Blue Water Bridge Authority," said Minister Fletcher. "His impressive background in business and industry, and his excellent leadership skills will be of great value to the Authority."

Mr. Atkinson has 35 years of experience in the petro-chemical industry, mostly with Shell Canada Ltd. A graduate of Lambton Central Collegiate Vocational Institute in Petrolia, Ontario, he began his career at Imperial Oil's Sarnia Refinery before joining Shell Canada in 1972. Mr. Atkinson became Senior Operator at Shell's Corunna refinery near Sarnia at their hydrogen complex, where he worked until 2005. There his responsibilities ranged from specialized operations to day-to-day maintenance and training. During this time, he was committed to achieving a safe work environment, with his most notable contributions as a member of Shell Canada's Safety Promotion Team from 1984- 2005, and its chairman from 1993- 2005.

Among the many boards Mr. Atkinson has served on, he is past president and director of the Plympton & Wyoming Agricultural Society, a member of the board for St. Francis Advocates, and member of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce - Government Affairs Committee. In 2000, he was awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal.

The Canadian half of the Blue Water Bridge is owned and operated by Blue Water Bridge Canada, a federal Crown corporation. With approximately 5,000 commercial vehicles crossing the bridge daily, it is Canada's second-busiest international commercial crossing for trucks, and is the third busiest for total vehicles. This crossing is a key component of the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor.

SOURCE Transport Canada