Thank you, Amarjeet, thank you for your excellent work, which made today’s announcement possible, and for all you do as Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.

I am also happy to be accompanied by Bob Chiarelli, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure; Jim Watson, the Mayor of Ottawa; and several MPs representing voters from the National Capital Region.

It’s a long list of local MPs, but I want to recognize each of them for the hard work they do for their constituents every day and the hard work they’ve done in bringing us all to this point right now. Andrew, Anita, Catherine, Chandra, David, Francis, Greg, Karen, Mona, Stéphane, Stephen and Will.

Thank you, guys.

I know you’ve been looking forward to the day as much as I have.

I also want to acknowledge the Mayor of Gatineau, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin. It’s a pleasure to see you here.  

Last August, we announced that the federal government would be contributing more than $66 million to support the early phases of Stage 2 and buy new light rail vehicles.  Today I am proud to announce that the Government of Canada will partner with the provincial government and the City of Ottawa to fully implement Stage 2 of Ottawa’s light rapid transit project.

Today I am proud to announce that the Government of Canada is joining the provincial government and the City of Ottawa in fully implementing Stage 2 of Ottawa’s light rapid transit project. When the project is finished, the rapid transit network will extend East to Trim, West to Moodie, South to Bowesville, and to the airport, adding over 38 km of rail line and 23 new light rail stations.

It’s a project that will create jobs, nearly 1,000 full-time jobs for people here in Ottawa. It’ll create a better quality of life with 14,000 fewer vehicles on the road during rush hour, you won’t have to wait so long to get to work, or back home after a long day.

And it’s good for the environment too. Fully implemented, Stage 2 LRT is expected to reduce Ottawa’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 110,000 tonnes.

That means cleaner air and a healthier future for you and your family. Together, all three orders of government – the federal, the provincial, and the city – will be equal partners in Stage 2 LRT funding, each contributing more than a billion dollars to see this project through to completion.

Combined with our earlier investment of more than $66 million, this represents a total Government of Canada investment of more than $1.15 billion to expand light rail transit across Ottawa, making the city an even better place to live and work.

I would like to add that it was especially rewarding to see the mayors and the councils of Ottawa and Gatineau work together to facilitate travel between provinces. I hope that today’s announcement will enable us to take another step towards harmonizing public transit systems and better serving Canadians.

I would also like once again to thank the federal MPs who represent the National Capital Region and who encouraged closer collaboration between Ottawa and Gatineau. It is in everyone’s interest.

Earlier this year, Mayor Watson described Stage 2 of the light rapid transit project as an expansion of the public transit network that happens only once in a generation. We are proud to be partners in this ambitious project, and we look forward to enjoying the benefits it will bring: well paying middle-class jobs, fewer traffic jams and a better quality of life, cleaner air and yet another opportunity to combat climate change.

Those are things that our government was elected to deliver and we’re following through on those promises today.