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PM announces major extension of Calgary Ring Road
22 May 2009
Calgary, Alberta
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERYGood morning, everyone. First of all, I want to acknowledge some notables who are here today, beginning of course, with Premier Stelmach. Greetings as well to the other provincial representatives joining us this morning.
I’d also like to acknowledge the presence of some of my federal colleagues: Minister of the Environment and Alberta’s senior Minister, Jim Prentice is here. Welcome to the Member for Calgary East, who sits on both the Citizenship and Immigration and Natural Resources committees, Devinder Shory; and to the MP for Calgary West and Vice-chair of the important Government and Operations Committee, Rob Anders.
Ladies and gentlemen. It’s a pleasure to be with you here today in this great province. As you may know, I first moved to Alberta in the late Seventies. At the time, world oil prices were skyrocketing, and thousands of people were moving here each month in search of oil patch jobs – myself among them.
In Calgary, construction projects were going like gangbusters: the downtown skyline was dotted with cranes and ground had just been broken on the first leg of the LRT. This city has certainly seen a few more cycles of boom and bust over the years, but despite the ups and downs – and even during the current global recession – Calgary is always a place with enormous energy and opportunity for those who seek it. Throughout its history, from the first pioneers, this is what has always drawn newcomers to Calgary from across Canada and around the world.
Of course, this influx over the years has brought with it a complement of challenges. One need only share a frustrated ride home with a rush-hour commuter to see that Calgary is in continual need of upgrades to some of its main arteries to accommodate its ever-expanding population. As every commuter knows, longer drive times mean more money spent on gasoline, more pollution in the atmosphere and more stresses on precious family time.
And what’s more, gridlock impedes economic growth. When traffic is idling on 16th Avenue, products destined for markets across Canada and around the world aren't going anywhere.
I’m pleased today to announce that the Government of Canada is partnering with the Alberta government to accelerate the construction of a key section of the Calgary Ring Road.
In the short term, these upgrades will create jobs for Calgarians, ease traffic congestion in the southeast and help meet the infrastructure needs of this ever-growing city. In the long term,
they will increase the flow of commercial goods and supplies across the prairies, into the U.S. and out to the wider world.
I will leave it to Premier Stelmach to give you more details, but let me just note that today's announcement builds on our Government's Economic Action Plan: to guide Canada through the global recession and ensure we emerge from it stronger than ever.
From coast to coast, our Government is partnering with provinces to accelerate infrastructure development and generate economic activity during this global recession. From Vancouver to Lévis to right here in Calgary, our Government is putting Canadians to work building the infrastructure we need to achieve even greater prosperity when the recovery takes hold.
I’d like to thank Premier Stelmach for partnering with us on this project and for helping build a stronger country. In order to achieve the goals we have set for Canada’s economic future, it is essential that all levels of government work with common purpose.
Today's announcement is, at its core, about where we are headed as a country. As the world struggles with the effects of global recession, we as Canadians are looking ahead. We are using our strong fiscal position to aggressively fund initiatives in communities across the country, initiatives that will generate economic growth for many years to come.
By looking forward today and investing in key infrastructure like the Calgary Ring Road, we are seizing opportunities that will get us through the tough times and ensure Canada emerges stronger than ever.
Thank you very much.
