MP Gallant Asks Municipal Councils for Motions of Support

February 22, 2008

Pembroke, Ontario - Cheryl Gallant, MP, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, is requesting that Renfrew County Council, as well local municipal councils, pass motions of support to be sent to Toronto, to urge the Provincial government to sign a Framework agreement with the Government of Canada. Without a framework agreement, Ontario municipalities will miss out on the $33 billion that has be set aside by the federal government for infrastructure.

“It is frustrating to me as the Federal MP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke to know that our government has allocated $33 billion dollars for infrastructure that we can not access locally because the Toronto liberals insist on playing political games rather than listening to the people,” stated Cheryl Gallant, MP.

“When Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the $33 billion dollar ‘Building Canada’ Fund for municipalities, I immediately contacted my colleague, Minister of Transport the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, about funding for highway 17. He assured me that our government would include in any discussions with the province, the twinning of highway 17 in Renfrew County. It is important to note that the federal government has already agreed to fund improvements to highway 17 at Rockland.”

The challenge is getting the Province of Ontario to come to the table to sign a Framework Agreement with the Government of Canada. As Hwy 17 is a provincial highway, any proposed improvements would require the support and investment of the Province of Ontario. To date, the government of Ontario has not yet come to the table to sign a Framework Agreement with the Government of Canada.

“What I am really concerned about is that all the other provinces that have signed framework agreements will receive what should have been Ontario’s portion. Unfortunately, this is what happened to Ontario’s share of the $78 million ‘Targeted Older Workers Program.’ While the communities of Arnprior, Renfrew and Pembroke all qualified to receive funding from that program, because Ontario refused to sign on, our people lost out. I do not want to see my constituents miss out on funding from another federal program”

“I have requested the help of local municipal politicians to encourage the Province of Ontario to recognize the importance of infrastructure funding to the County of Renfrew. I have requested that their councils pass motions asking that the provincial government get on with the job they were elected to do and sign a Framework Agreement with the Federal Government.