REMARKS BY PRIME MINISTER JEAN CHRÉTIEN TO ANNOUNCE A JOINT CANADA-MANITOBA INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

April 3, 2003
Winnipeg, Manitoba

I am very pleased to be with you today in Winnipeg with my colleague, the Honourable Rey Pagtakhan, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister responsible for Manitoba.

Over the years, the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba have had a long and successful history of working together to improve the quality of life, the safety of Manitobans and the economy of Manitoba and Canada.

Today, we are taking action on a priority issue for Manitobans. I am pleased to announce an investment of $80 million from the Government of Canada, with an equal investment from the Government of Manitoba, to expand the Red River Floodway. The City of Winnipeg is also a partner and committed to increased funding to protect and strengthen the capacity of this city to respond to the threat of floods.

Together, we will improve infrastructure to better protect the residents of Winnipeg and of the Red River Valley from flooding. This action will also help the economy – because when we reduce the risk of flooding, we not only improve the safety of residents, but we create an environment that encourages business investment. The expansion of the Floodway itself will also bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits. I am also particularly pleased that this project will help create thousands of jobs for Manitobans.

History has taught the people who live here to prepare for flooding. We learned many lessons from the flooding of 1997. I want to say today that the Government of Canada is committed to working with the people and Government of Manitoba to support the completion of the expanded floodway over the next several years.

I would also like to thank all of you who took time to organize, work, and participate in the various consultations that have been held to date to look at how we can prevent and reduce the dangers of flooding. We welcomed the contribution of everyone, whether they are engineers or ordinary people living along the Red River, who are most affected by flooding.

I would also like to acknowledge in a very special way the work undertaken over the last few years by the International Joint Commission. In the wake of the 1997 flood, the Commission's Task Force made 58 recommendations. The Commission called for the highest flood protection that can be economically justified. I am proud to say today that we are responding.

The Government of Canada takes its commitment to municipal and provincial infrastructure seriously. That is why my government announced in the Speech from the Throne that we are putting in place a ten year program for long-term strategic infrastructure initiatives. Our latest Budget backs this commitment up with an additional investment of $3 billion in infrastructure support. Combined with commitments made in previous budgets, the Government of Canada's investment in infrastructure since 2000 is now over $8 billion. Infrastructure projects have one thing in common: they all help make Canada a better place to live, work and raise a family.

As I have mentioned in the past, the key to success in improving infrastructure is setting priorities. I would like to congratulate Premier Doer whose leadership has been paramount in working with the federal government to determine Manitoba's priority project. The expansion of the Red River Floodway was chosen because we all agree that it will contribute immensely to the economic vitality of Manitoba, but also because it will go a long way into protecting the lives and the livelihood of everybody living on the shores of the Red River. We look forward to continued cooperation with the Premier on long-term strategic infrastructure priorities in the province.

We all remember the 1997 flood. At that time, the governments of Canada and Manitoba provided $130 million for flood protection of residences and businesses in the area. With today's investment, my government commits to do more to make sure that we never come again so close to a tragedy.

I will now ask my colleague, the Honourable Allan Rock, Minister of Industry and Minister Responsible for Infrastructure to begin negotiations with his colleagues from the Province of Manitoba to conclude a contribution agreement so that the expansion of the floodway can begin as soon as possible.

Today marks another great step in the history of the collaboration between Manitoba and Canada as we work together to ensure that Winnipeg and the Red River Valley continue to enjoy the best possible quality of life.

Thank you very much.

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