December 12, 1997

              TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR
                 RECEIVES ASSISTANCE FROM WDA

A three-year strategy to promote a multi-modal trade and
transportation corridor extending south to Mexico will be
developed and implemented with $600,000 in assistance from the
Winnipeg Development Agreement (WDA).

Funding for the project was announced today by Jack Reimer,
Manitoba urban affairs minister and provincial minister
responsible for the WDA, Winnipeg Mayor Susan Thompson and
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy, federal minister
responsible for the WDA.

The strategy will promote the Highway 75-Interstate 29-Interstate
35 link, beginning in Manitoba and ending in Mexico, as the
North American Superhighway.  It will also guide development of
multi-modal transportation routes, known as corridors, to
facilitate Manitoba's and Winnipeg's current and future trade
requirements and investments with the NAFTA countries.  Development
of the strategy will address trade, transportation, tourism,
legislative, regulatory, technological and investment issues. 

"The designation of this route as the primary surface
transportation link between our three countries could have a
substantial long-term positive impact on the economy of not only
Winnipeg but all of Manitoba," Reimer said. "The promotion of this
multi-modal link will increase opportunities for further growth in
sectors such as freight transportation, manufacturing and food
processing, for example."

As a major component of the corridor strategy, the City of Winnipeg
and the Province of Manitoba have joined North America's
Superhighway Coalition (NASCO), a private-public sector
organization actively promoting the development of a North American
Superhighway corridor linking all three NAFTA nations.  Manitoba is
the first Canadian province to formally join with a major U.S.
trade and transportation corridor initiative.  Discussions are
currently underway to determine the possibility of holding a spring
meeting of NASCO in Winnipeg.

 "Membership in the North American Superhighway Corridor Coalition
gives the City of Winnipeg the opportunity to create strong trade
and distribution alliances with communities along the corridor,"
Thompson said.  "Our involvement will assist in raising the profile
of the city as the northern terminus of the Mid-Continent Trade and
Transportation Corridor."

"As trade barriers come down, reaching new markets becomes
increasingly important to all Manitoba businesses and this
initiative will continue to promote our strategic geographical
location as an international transportation and distribution hub,"
Axworthy said.  "This will build on Manitoba's strength as an
international distribution centre with a strategic northern
shipping location, as well as an excellent transportation
infrastructure."

The trade corridor initiative supports the WDA strategy of
promoting the city's mid-continent location which offers
cost-effective transportation access to all major North American
markets.  The initiative could also support plans for the
development of a multi-modal cargo complex at Winnipeg
International Airport.

The Winnipeg Development Agreement is a five-year, $75 million
commitment by the governments of Canada, Manitoba and Winnipeg to
the long-term sustainable economic development of Winnipeg.  The
WDA is a city-wide strategy which focuses on three key areas: 
labour force development, strategic and sectoral investments and
the development and security of Winnipeg communities.
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