PM, Premier announce Canada-B.C. agreement to launch Building Canada plan

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Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Greetings to Premier Campbell and thanks to Kootenay-Columbia MP Jim Abbott for being here today. Congratulations Jim, on your recent appointment to the Queen’s Privy Council.

Jim is one of 18 government MPs, six Parliamentary Secretaries and five federal Ministers from British Columbia. Obviously our government has deep roots in B.C. and that’s reflected not only in our caucus and Cabinet, but also in our relationship with the provincial government. Today’s announcement reflects the strength of that relationship.

I am pleased to announce that British Columbia is the first province to officially sign on to our Building Canada Plan. This means that money can start flowing from the federal government to B.C. and that major infrastructure projects that are important to the people of British Columbia, like upgrades to the Trans-Canada Highway, can start moving forward.

As a long-time resident of Calgary, I have travelled the Highway through Kicking Horse Pass many times. While there have been some significant improvements in recent years, some stretches of the Trans-Canada in the pass are still not as safe as they should be, nor as efficient as they could be in terms of moving commercial traffic. It’s important for local residents in towns like Banff, Lake Louise, Field, Golden and Revelstoke to be able to travel safely between their communities. There’s also the growing volume of tourist traffic during the summer, skiers visiting the great winter resorts in this region, including Golden’s own Kicking Horse Resort as well, and up to one thousand commercial trucks travelling through the pass every day. The total value of the goods hauled through the canyon is projected to exceed thirteen billion dollars over the next ten years.

We understand how important it is to keep the flow of goods and people moving on Canada’s national highway because our transportation infrastructure really is the lifeblood of our economy. Today’s agreement under our Building Canada Plan will launch several new road improvement projects in this region and infrastructure projects elsewhere in B.C. Locally, 16 kilometres of the Trans-Canada will be upgraded. The project involves twinning the highway from Golden to the West Portal as well as the section between Park Bridge and Yoho National Park. The upgrades will ensure that traffic keeps moving smoothly and people keep getting to their destinations safely.

In budget 2007, our government launched the biggest program of national infrastructure investment in half a century.  We are providing predictable, flexible and long-term funding to restore and upgrade roads, bridges, tunnels, ports, public transit systems, and much more including, of course, the Asia-Pacific Gateway, which is key to realizing B.C.’s destiny as the Canadian link to the burgeoning economies on the other side of the ocean.

Building Canada is about investing in our country’s future; it’s about a stronger economy, a cleaner environment and more prosperous communities. I’d like to thank Premier Campbell and his government for their support and co-operation in developing our Building Canada partnership. Today’s announcement shows that by working together, the provinces and Ottawa can get things done for Canadians and make Canada stronger, safer and better.

Thank you.

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