Thank you, and good morning…Mayor Karina and Council, and all those who have taken time to come out today and celebrate this great news!

It is a pleasure to be here today on behalf of our Government, the Hon. Lynn Yelich, Minister of Western Economic Diversification, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper

It is exciting for me to be back in Slave Lake again today; this is truly a town with a big heart, and a strong and dynamic vision for its future
Being here today reminds me of my own illustrious hockey career!…From early days in FM… to MP hockey team today in Ottawa…

I know from my own experience that facilities like the Artic Centre give people like me, and like all of you the opportunity to play, to train, to learn, to compete, and to gather together as a community…

Happy to be here today to support such important parts of this community.

There is no doubt that communities across Western Alberta, just like Slave Lake, have been experiencing challenges recently due to the current global recession
This economic uncertainty has affected our families, our recreational activities, our communities, and our whole country, and because of this, taking action on the economy is currently your Government’s number one priority.

To be sure we emerge from this recession stronger than ever, our Government is taking timely, effective and targeted steps to stimulate and sustain our economy.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan was designed back in early 2009 to help Canadians of all walks of life to weather this global economic slowdown in the short term; but also to keep building economic prosperity for the future.

In fact… as of September 28, just 6 months into this fiscal year, 90 percent of our Plan’s funding has been committed and is being implemented across the country.
So, today, I am very pleased to announce an investment of nearly $1.5 million dollars towards three projects right here in the Slave Lake region.

Through the Community Adjustment Fund, our Government is investing $443,000 dollars towards redeveloping and enhancing the Town of Slave Lake’s downtown core.

This project will be sure to be an exciting one to see develop, as the mayor and council, in partnership with the federal government, work to enhance the existing downtown of the town, and introduce a new look and feel to the heart of this community!

The actions of this project will also stimulate the local economy at a critical time through improvement activities such as: enhancing boulevards and increasing signage to identify key attractions, just to name a few. 

But this project is about more than just revitalizing our community’s downtown core… it’s also about attracting more visitors to this exceptional area, and creating new economic opportunities for hard-working local businesses and residents

This project will in fact supporting the Town of Slave Lake’s efforts to enhance tourism over the long-term while complementing upgrades currently being made to the Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park.

I am also pleased to announce today that two projects in this region are being funded through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada program.
Over a two-year period, the Recreational Infrastructure Canada program is investing $500 million dollars to improve recreational infrastructure in communities across the country. 

And, as of September 28, 2009, $138 million dollars in recreational infrastructure funding has been committed to projects across the country.

And today, locally, our Government is investing more than $23,000 dollars in RInC funding towards the Sawridge Indian Band’s arena upgrade project.

This investment will enhance the current well-used facility by providing resources for the paving of the arena to allow for year-round use, and reducing the amount of water required for flooding.

I’m sure that a great number of residents of Sawridge – young and old alike – will benefit from upgrades to this arena in the upcoming season!

And finally… as you all know… Our Government is providing $1 million dollars to support the Town of Slave Lake in upgrading this very Arctic Ice Centre that we sit in today, and enjoy month and month.

I know that this investment is certainly amazing news for the community of Slave Lake, as it will allow the town to significantly enhance the existing facility
This project will allow for:

 increasing seating capacity for games, competitions and special events,   
 Improvements to accessibility and energy efficiency, and
Other enhancements that are key to ensuring that this arena remains a modern, dynamic community recreational hub for generations to come.
In our busy lives recreational facilities – such as local hockey rinks, swimming pools, and sports fields – provide us with places where families, friends and neighbors can gather together, and relax and have fun, participate in organized activities, such as hockey and figure skating, 
host regional events, and maintain a healthy lifestyle as a community;

So, I am proud our Government can help deliver development and improvement opportunities like this to communities such as Slave Lake and surrounding areas.
In total, our Government will invest $306 million throughout Western Canada, and I am very proud that we can help support such impressive initiatives in Northern Alberta.

This stimulus funding is about addressing our present challenges, and I am confident that investments such as this one will help ensure our Western communities and industries remains strong, because a stronger West means a stronger Canada.

Once again its great to be here with you all today to celebrate this exciting news – Happy Skating!!