Notes for an address by

The Honourable Lynne Yelich
Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification

Funding announcement

Corresponding Document: News Release (2010-01-18)

Check against delivery

Thank you Mr. Harding [emcee].

Honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen good morning.

It is a pleasure to be here today on behalf of the Government of Canada.

To begin, I would also like to acknowledge today’s other participants;

• The honourable Jim Reiter, Saskatchewan Minister of Highways and Infrastructure;
• Greg Sommerfeld, South Saskatchewan Irrigation District;
• Lorne Jackson, Riverhurst Irrigation District; and,
• Randy Bergstrom, Luck Lake Irrigation District

Since my announcement of the project’s conception last June, we have taken a lot of positive steps to create new economic opportunities.

There is no doubt that the current global economic downturn is continuing to affect our families, our communities, and our country.  Communities across Western Canada have been hard-hit by the economic slowdown. And, to ensure we emerge stronger than ever, the Government of Canada is taking timely, effective and targeted steps to stimulate and sustain our economy.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan is designed to help Canadians weather the global economic slowdown in the short term, while building economic prosperity for the future. As of December 1^st, I’m pleased to say that 97 per cent of the stimulus funding under the Action Plan has been committed. In every region of the country, Canadian communities, businesses, worker and families are receiving the support they need.

And the Community Adjustment Fund – or CAF as it is known – is just one measure that is helping communities across the West to prosper. CAF is a $1 billion Canada-wide two-year economic stimulus designed to create jobs and maintain employment in communities hardest hit by the global recession.

The fund supports affected communities right here in Western Canada, such as those that rely on resource-based industries – like forestry, mining, energy, agriculture and fisheries, as well as communities that depend on the manufacturing sector. It provides a short-term response that is helping to maintain Canada’s economic strength by creating and maintaining jobs right now, and in the places they’re needed most.

Today, I am pleased to announce that the South Saskatchewan Irrigation District, the Riverhurst Irrigation District and the Luck Lake Irrigation District are receiving an additional $270,000 each, for a total additional investment of $810,000 in Government of Canada funding under CAF.

This additional funding brings the total federal investment to the three irrigation districts to over five and a half million dollars.

It allows for an increase in both new jobs, as well as the sustainability of existing jobs. 

Together, these projects will directly impact five communities and eight municipalities resulting in 60 long-term sustainable jobs in the agriculture industry plus 223 long-term jobs associated with supporting and servicing the industry.

I am proud the Government of Canada is helping to deliver opportunities like this to impacted communities such as ours. Investing in projects such as these is assisting communities in our region as they weather the current economic crisis and future drought conditions.

This project is just one of many western Canadian initiatives receiving support under CAF. In total, the Government of Canada is investing $306 million throughout the West. As of the beginning of December, approximately $460 million in CAF funding has been committed to projects across the country and almost 1000 individual projects have begun.

And, while we are already showing signs of recovery, the economy remains Canadians' top priority as well as the Government of Canada’s. That’s why we are going to complete the roll-out of our Economic Action Plan, return the federal budget to balance once the economy has recovered, and build the economy of the future.

The Government of Canada will continue working with the West to help strengthen all our communities, to remain strong, healthy and resilient for generations to come.

Today’s announcement is about addressing our present challenges and building a better future. And I am confident that investments such as these will help ensure the West remains strong, because a stronger West means a stronger Canada.

Thank you.