Good morning everyone, and thank you for being here. It’s great to be back in Etobicoke. I want to thank Amarjeet for his hard work on bringing infrastructure projects closer and closer to reality. The investments that we’re making as a country are historic and Amarjeet’s thoughtful leadership and coming from a municipal perspective has been very, very strong in leading the federal government’s re-engagement in building infrastructure, particularly public transit right across Canada.

Of course we couldn’t do that without tremendous partnerships, both with the Premier and the provinces in general, but also with mayors across this country, and I’m happy to highlight the presence of two friends who have been strong leaders in their own communities and leaders on infrastructure, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey as well.

Along with other municipal leaders and of course great members of our team.

I want to specifically thank Premier Kathleen Wynne for joining me today to talk about this exciting announcement for people living in the GTA and indeed all Canadians.

Last year our government introduced an ambitious plan to help hard-working Canadians get ahead and build a strong economy for the future. With Budget 2016, we took the first step towards ensuring that public transit systems can get people to work on time, and at the end of the long day, back home faster to their families. Here in Ontario we announced nearly $1.49 billion last year to help repair and upgrade public transit through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.

And these investments have already made a difference in the lives of Canadians across the country. Investing in our communities is a priority for us because for nearly 10 years, municipalities and provinces did not receive the federal support they needed to ensure that transport services could meet growing demand.

More families are choosing to settle in communities like Etobicoke -- communities that allow parents to work in the big city and allow kids to ride their bikes on the street. But for many people things aren’t that easy. Parents can’t see their kids off to school because they have to leave early to catch the train in the morning. And when thousands of other commuters like them are rushing to get home at the end of a long day, they end up missing soccer practices, school plays, and family dinners. Hard-working Canadians deserve better.

Budget 2017 continues to make investments to help build stronger communities for folks here in the GTA and across Canada. So today I’m happy to announce that our government will be investing more than $1.8 billion in the Go Regional Express Rail network.

Along with the province’s contribution, this investment through the new Building Canada Fund will be the single largest transit project in which the federal government has ever invested in. These funds will help improve the lives of millions of Ontarians by making sure that students make it on time to their first job interview; that parents make it home early to help their kids with their homework, and that families enjoy what their community has to offer whenever they want.

The Go Network will mean a faster commute, less time in traffic, and more money in people’s pockets as they trade their cars for public transit. And on that note, I really want to re-emphasize my thanks to Premier Wynne for her leadership on this project.

Similarly, over 300 projects have been approved in Ontario under the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. These investments will help shorten commute times, decrease air pollution, and transform the way Ontarians live, move and work.

We recognize that we have to work with our provincial and municipal partners to boost the economy and strengthen the middle class. More than anyone else, they know what their community needs. They know what has to be done, and we need their expertise to improve the lives of Canadians through carefully targeted investments.

Today’s announcement is an example of the kinds of things we can accomplish when we work together to make a real difference in the lives of Canadians and make our communities even better places to call home.