A short-sea push.

The grassroots movement to upgrade short-sea shipping from fantasy to fact may be on the cusp of some real support. Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., has introduced a bill aimed at opening some doors to allow short-sea services room to grow.

Rep. Weldon calls short-sea shipping his "blue-water highway." Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton has dubbed it "America's maritime highway." This reference has led some Canadians to wonder aloud whether that's a reference to North America or the United States of America, because the second reference would exclude them.

Canadians should be part of any short-sea initiative in this hemisphere, just as Mexican ports should …