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Improving Safety and Creating Jobs for Nova Scotians: PM Announces Upgrades to Highway 101
6 March 2009
Berwick, NS
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERYGood morning ladies and gentlemen.
Greetings to Premier MacDonald and the Member of Parliament for West Nova, Greg Kerr.
It’s a great pleasure to be back in the beautiful Annapolis Valley.
Let me begin by recalling one of my fondest memories of Nova Scotia from a visit I made through this area in the summer of 2005.
We were headed down to the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre to visit the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, and to meet with some of our fine young sea cadets training there for the summer.
And as we drove southwest on Highway 101, I couldn’t help but think of the words of the late Canadian country music legend, Hank Snow: "If God came here on earth with us and asked if he could rest, I’d take him to my Nova Scotian home, the place I love best."
I have to tell you it was warmer and greener on that day in 2005.
And while the province has changed a great deal since those words were first sung more than forty years ago, the natural beauty and down-home hospitality that inspired them haven’t changed a bit.
So I’d like to thank you for welcoming me again so warmly today.
Ladies and gentlemen, a little over a month ago our Government brought forward one of the most important budgets in our history.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the most comprehensive stimulus package in Canadian history, tackles our short-term needs in order to meet this country’s long-term goals.
One key part of stimulus plan is to speed up construction on the bridges, highways, and other essential infrastructure that link us together and connect us to the world.
By doing so, we can create jobs for Canadians today when they are needed most, while also paving the way to future economic growth and prosperity.
All across Canada, our Government is working with our provinces to cut red tape and get these much-needed projects up and running.
Which brings us to the reason we are here today.
In partnership with Premier MacDonald and the Government of Nova Scotia, I am pleased to announce that our Government will accelerate upgrades to the Annapolis Valley’s transportation lifeline, Highway 101.
Work will soon begin on much-needed passing lanes from Coldbrook to Kingston.
This project will create well-paying jobs for Nova Scotians, speed the east-west flow of goods through the province, and dramatically improve safety for truckers and travellers alike.
I’d like to thank Premier MacDonald for his vital role in making today’s announcement a reality.
This initiative is a testament to the quick action that can be achieved when governments work together.
It is also a continuing example of the Premier’s commitment to the people of Nova Scotia, and indeed, to Canada itself.
The Premier will share further details with you in a moment, but I again want to make it clear that today’s announcement isn’t simply about highway upgrades, or the jobs they will create, it is more fundamentally about where we’re heading as a country.
As the world struggles with the effects of the global recession, we as Canadians are looking ahead.
We are using our strong balance sheets to aggressively fund initiatives during this recession in communities all across this country; initiatives will generate economic growth for many years to come.
In the coming weeks, our Government will be making other announcements in connection with our Economic Action Plan. Our objective is to create jobs and stimulate the economy in every region of the country now, and to ensure that our country emerges from this crisis stronger than ever.
While the challenges Canada faces may be great, so are this country’s strengths.
And greater yet is our resolve to move ahead.
By looking forward today, and investing in key infrastructure like highways, we are seizing the opportunities that will help us get through tough times, and ensure this country emerges stronger than ever.
Thank you.
I’d now like to invite Premier MacDonald to the podium.
