Speaking Notes

Good afternoon.  I’d like to thank you all for coming today.  I appreciate that many of you have travelled quite a distance to be here.  If there’s anyone who can certainly understand the difficulties of winter travel through northern Alberta, it’s me, so thank you.

I’d also like to thank Dr. Julian Martin, director of the Regional Office of The Honourable Rona Ambrose, for coming here today to share his experience with grant-writing and government process.

Here in Athabasca and across our region, communities are in need.  We have so much to offer but we are in need of help as well.  So, it is essential to understand how to put our best foot forward when applying for funding.

The government is indeed taking action to build infrastructure across the country. We know that getting shovels in the ground today will create jobs for Canadians now, while we prepare for the future.

So we are building and renewing our municipal, provincial, and territorial infrastructure, our post-secondary, research and health infrastructure, and our key federal assets.

The money will flow quickly, and the shovels will hit the ground quickly.  We”ll see a smoother approval process for projects, and less bureaucracy and red tape.

For communities like ours all across the country, it will mean real benefits.  More people working, more people selling their products, and a better quality of life.

Roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, yes.  But also recreation and community infrastructure.

As you may know, in addition to the $33 billion infrastructure commitment of Building Canada, our Economic Action Plan will provide almost $12 billion in additional stimulus for our economy.

The $4 billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, the $1 billion Green Infrastructure Fund, the $500 million dollars for Recreational Infrastructure Canada, $500 million to accelerate infrastructure in small communities – these are all investments that our Government wants to see happen as quickly and easily as possible.  Not to mention funding programs for Heritage, Arts, Parks and business.

This is an important time.  The clearest, best-planned, most well-thought-out proposals are going to win out in this competitive process.  As your representative, and a lifelong resident of Northern Alberta, I want to see us win.

So let’s get started! 

And now I welcome Mr. Martin to help us gain some insights and experience.  Thank you.