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Canada's Economic Action Plan at Work in Southern Ontario: Prime Minister Harper Highlights Revitalization of the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge
3 September 2009
Queenston, Ontario
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERYThank you very much, ladies and gentlemen, for that welcome. I want to also thank Rob Nicholson for his kind introduction, and for all the hard work he has done to make today's announcement a reality. I'd also like to take a moment to offer you my congratulations, Rob, because tomorrow the Minister will be marking the 25th anniversary of having first been elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls.
Welcome also to our Parliamentary colleague Dean Allison here from Niagara West-Glanbrooke. Also special greetings to Niagara Falls Mayor Ted Salci, Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Burroughs, to Chairman Peter Partington of the Regional Municipality of Niagara, and to the officials joining us this afternoon from the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.
It's always a pleasure for me to visit the beautiful Niagara Peninsula. Like most people raised in Southern Ontario, I have fond childhood memories of this area. This was where my parents had their honeymoon in 1954, and we would come here regularly when I was a boy to see the spectacular falls, visit the roadside stands selling delicious fruit, and learn about the fascinating and inspiring Canadian history in this region.
Not far from here, Sir Isaac Brock stands atop his monument, keeping an eternal vigil over our border. Also nearby is the homestead of Canada's greatest war heroine, Laura Secord. Brock, Secord and their compatriots stood on guard for Canada at a time when our destiny as an independent country hung in the balance. Their valour and determination won the respect of our neighbours to the south, and that respect eventually became the foundation for the deep friendship that exists between Canada and the United States today.
The Queenston-Lewiston Bridge is itself a monument to this enduring friendship. Along with the Whirlpool Rapids and Rainbow Bridges upstream from here, it is managed by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission. This unique binational agency comprised of four Canadians and four Americans has been operating and maintaining the bridges over the Niagara Gorge for more than 70 years. Together, the bridges accommodate some 12 million vehicles annual between Ontario and New York State. They also carry commercial traffic representing some $26 billion per year in Canada-U.S. trade, and an estimated half million Canadian and American jobs depend on the exports that cross these bridges.
In these difficult times of global economic recession, the free and efficient flow of goods and people between our two trade-dependent countries is more important than ever. Yesterday I was in Sault Ste. Marie where I announced major upgrades to the International Bridge linking the Sault to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and in March I announced improvements to the Blue Water Bridge that connects Sarnia to Port Huron, Michigan.
At all of these events, my message has been the same. Under Canada's Economic Action Plan to counter the global recession and hasten the recovery, our Government is making short-term investments in critical infrastructure to create jobs and stimulate economic activity. But in every case, our long-term objective is to lay the groundwork for Canada's long-term future prosperity.
Two years ago an ambitious plan for the revitalization of the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge was launched, and significant construction has already taken place. Indeed, the first phase of improvements, which included new toll, parking and commercial inspection facilities, was completed in January. Today I was pleased to be able to get a first-hand look at the new facilities and also to see the progress on the second phase of improvements to the Queenston Plaza, a joint undertaking of the Government of Canada and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.
Phase two will include construction of a new commercial vehicle secondary inspection warehouse, additional primary inspection lanes, a new central building for the Canadian Border Services Agency, and a new animal inspection facility. In the short term, these projects, like the Niagara Falls Convention Centre I toured earlier today, are creating jobs and opportunities for people and businesses in the Niagara region. But the big payoff is in the longer term, when this border crossing will be faster, safer and easier for commercial and passenger traffic. Because as the recovery gathers steam, so will the volume of cross-border trade and tourism, and through the revitalization of these bridge facilities, Queenston and the Niagara region will reap the full economic benefits.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake, as I've said before, today's announcement is not simply about upgrading bridge and border crossings or convention centres, or the jobs that these projects will create. It is more fundamentally about where we are headed 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 in communities right across this country, and we are already beginning to see the positive impact of these investments on Canada's economy. By looking forward today and by investing in key long-term infrastructure like the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, we are seizing the opportunities that will get us through these difficult times and ensure that our country emerges stronger than ever.
Thank you.
