Re: Governments need to stop ignoring Hope, Letters (Oct. 17)
After reading the above noted letter, I thought it was important to correct the record and remind your readers that the Conservative government has made several important investments in the District of Hope in recent years.
Since our election in 2006, the Conservative government has invested $33 billion in support of over 43,000 infrastructure projects across Canada. The fact is we have done more to support infrastructure renewal than any other federal government.
The good news for your readers is that there have been several important infrastructure investments in Hope. For example, working with our provincial and municipal partners, the federal government invested $3.3 million in the replacement of the Kawkawa Lake Road Bridge.
There have been a number of investments in area highways including $2.6 million for the replacement of the Cedar Creek bridges on Highway 3. It is important to note that these are provincial highways and not federal. In fact, the Trans-Canada Highway is not a federal highway. It is a series of connected provincial highways across Canada.
Through the Gas Tax Fund, the federal government has invested $450,000 in the East Kawkawa Lake water system to improve the quality of drinking water, in addition to the $216,219 that we provide the District of Hope in Gas Tax Funding every year in two installments.
As part of Economic Action Plan 2013, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced the largest long-term federal commitment to Canadian infrastructure in our nation’s history –$53.5 billion over the next 10 years for provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure.
As a result there will be a number of new opportunities for infrastructure investments in our local area in the coming years.
I look forward to working with my municipal and provincial partners to ensure the community continues to benefit from these record investments.
Mark Strahl,
Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon MP
