More than a Job: The essential role of the trades in building Canada's future prosperity

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Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you, Senator Fabian Manning, for your warm introduction, and for all you do everyday on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Greetings to Minister Peter MacKay, and a warm welcome to Elizabeth Marshall, our new senator, great to have you on the team.  And thank you, Rhonda Neary, for the invitation to speak at this Association’s annual conference.  I understand you’ve been enjoying a very full program, and I appreciate that you were able to accommodate me this afternoon. 

One of the best things about being Prime Minister of Canada, the best job, by the way, in the world’s best country, is that I have had an unparalleled opportunity to travel the length and breadth of our land, meeting the people who call it home.  Many times, I’ve visited Vancouver, where these days they are busy with final preparations to welcome the world as host of the 2010 Winter Olympics.  I’ve also been up to Alert in Nunavut, the northernmost outpost of human existence, and the front line of our nation’s defence of our Arctic borders.  And of course, I’ve spent plenty of time here in Atlantic Canada, where proud provinces preserve unique cultures, unique in our country, unique in the world.

Throughout these travels, it is always a particular privilege for me to meet folks who work hard every day, not just for themselves and their families, but indeed, for all their fellow Canadians. 

Your membership represents one such group of people.  For more than forty years, the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association has been the voice of construction professionals all across the province. You are the tradespeople who, quite literally through sweat and toil, build and maintain the country we all love.

As you know, our government is relying heavily on the skill and know-how of Canadian construction professionals like yourselves during this time of worldwide recession.

A year ago, the world economy was in virtual free-fall.  In the face of the worst global recession in half a century, our government launched Canada’s Economic Action Plan, our response to protect our economy and Canadian jobs. 

Recognizing that the best and quickest way to get Canadians back to work, while at the same time building our country up for future success, is by investing in infrastructure projects, our Plan does just that.  Through targeted and temporary stimulus, our Plan has been creating jobs now, when they are needed most, encouraging immediate economic activity in every part of Canada. 

In executing the first phase of the Plan, the importance of the men and women of the construction industry here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and throughout the country, cannot be overstated.  And as we prepare to launch the second phase, that role will become no less essential.

I’m sure that more than a few of you in the room today are already involved with some of the infrastructure projects we are funding right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.  That includes the over 50-million dollar boost our Action Plan has given to our small craft harbours, at places like Heart’s Content and Jerseyside.  It includes the repair and restoration of federal buildings throughout the Province.  It includes work at Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic.  It includes work to increase the availability of local affordable housing.  And it includes the additional hundreds of millions of dollars for ongoing rehabilitation and construction on the Trans-Canada and the Trans-Labrador Highways.

I know whatever the role you have been playing in these projects, it has been executed with the expertise and capability that has become the hallmark of this Association’s membership.

I would also like to highlight the strong cooperation between our government and the provincial government in identifying and prioritizing stimulus projects.

Building on this progress, Minister MacKay and Senator Manning announced this morning that through our Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada is providing funding to a further nine road improvement projects and two bridge rehabilitation projects right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m pleased to say our Plan is working, and your efforts are already paying off.  Housing sales and prices are rising.  Auto sales are increasing. 
Consumer demand is up.  Employment is stabilizing.

In fact, we had some very good news this morning from Statistics Canada: the Canadian economy grew for the third month in a row.  As I was just saying yesterday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the recovery is still fragile, but, one step at a time, we are making our way back up.

So, we have our eyes set to the horizon, to what’s ahead for Canada.  We are also focussed on creating the jobs of the future.  That’s why our government has been investing heavily in employment and training programs for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.  And we are paying special attention to the trades.  Because we believe that in the years to come, Canada is going to need hundreds of thousands of skilled tradesmen and women. 

And all of the data on the emerging labour force of the next few decades suggest that if construction professionals consistently embrace innovation and new technologies and stay current with their expertise, they should have long, busy and successful careers.

Given this demand, our government has made it somewhat of a mission to encourage talented, ambitious young people to consider a future in the trades. 

To that end, we’ve introduced some practical incentives including: an Apprenticeship Grant to reduce the cost of schooling, a Job Creation Tax Credit to reward employers who hire apprentices, a Red Seal completion bonus and a Tools Tax Credit to assist tradespeople with the cost of tools.

Ladies and gentlemen, I sense a feeling of optimism in this room, a feeling that despite the global recession and the associated challenges, you all still believe in the opportunities available in this Province and in our country.

Our government understands that building the future of Canada is very much in the hands of construction industry professionals like yourselves.  And this is no mere lip service.  The work you do every day has far reaching effects.  You are responsible for creating and sustaining Canada’s next generation of highways, harbours, schools, and housing - all the facilities that all Canadians and all sectors need to keep our country strong and growing.

Your work is real, it is concrete, and it is essential. When hammer meets nail, shovel meets earth, the fruits of your labour truly enrich the lives of all people in this great country. 

Yours is more than a job.  More than a career even.  With your hands you are building Canada’s future prosperity. And for that, on behalf of all Canadians, I offer heartfelt gratitude.

Thank you.

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