by ALMS President
The Federal Government met in Winnipeg and coincidentally news followed regarding the Lake Manitoba-Lake St Martin channels. The gist of the coverage from Saturday, January 18 is that Manitoba’s contribution to the Environmental Impact Statement “botched consultations with Indigenous people”. As consequence they are withholding the pledged funding, $247.5 million. This by the way is the same funding announcement that felt so good to them that they repeated it two previous times while cameras rolled.
www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/funding-for-flood-channels-nowhere-in-sight-567097872.html
The Premier has consistently advocated for swift completion of environmental licensing and the pressing need for the channels. Manitoba MP, Candice Bergen, commented succinctly, “There is no way that this should be taking so long.”
Premier Pallister wrote an Op Ed piece for the Globe and Mail in November, 2019. In it he detailed ways in which the Federal Government could start to fix Western discontent. He strongly stated the need for the channels project. He also critiqued Bill C-69 which has led to lengthy delays in infrastructure projects. He urged the Prime Minister to “revisit C-69 to de-politicize it with true regulatory independence and establish time-frame certainty”. He went on to note the irony that this “urgently needed climate adaptation project” is being held up at a time when climate change figures so prominently in world politics.
In a previous post I asked members to write to MPs urging quick action to protect our communities from future flooding. Those who have rebuilt homes, roads, business and communities deserve better from our Canadian Government.
–Jack King
Links to Government MPs and MLAs
Members of Parliament (Manitoba):
https://sources.com/PNN/MBFed.htm
Manitoba Legislature:
https://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members/mla_list_alphabetical.html
Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
infc.minister-ministre.infc@canada.ca
In Memory…