Summer is all but over and I am back in Ottawa for the start of the Fall Session of Parliament. I would like to update you on some good events and announcements made in our riding during the summer recess.
In July, I was part of the announcement about the Malakwa Bridge four-laning and three kilometers of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) east of the Bridge. This project is another step toward the ultimate goal of the TCH four-lane from Alberta to Kamloops. Our government, in budget 2014-15, also committed more than $100 million to upgrading the TCH in Glacier National Park.
In Kamloops, during the month of August, the Minister of Justice, the Hon. Peter MacKay, held a roundtable on justice. The prime topic of the discussion was focused on our government’s Victims Bill of Rights Act. It was a great opportunity to hear from constituents their appreciation of our government’s support for victims of crime.
We also heard from a representative from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), wherein the minister informed the roundtable that he is working on a new act that will focus on impaired driving due to alcohol and drugs. Germany has developed a drug-testing tool that can detect most drugs and will likely be used in Canada by enforcement authorities.
If you fish for salmon in B.C. you are aware that you need to purchase salmon conservation stamps for each fish you are allowed to catch. In the past, revenue from salmon stamps was collected by the Government of Canada, and a portion was allotted to the Pacific Salmon Foundation. The Foundation used their portion of the stamp revenue to improve salmon habitat, study the life cycle of salmon and fund salmon-related research. The Foundation approached the B.C. Conservative Caucus requesting that all the revenue from the stamp be used to expand their good work. Our ministers of finance and fisheries and oceans listened and, in the 2014-15 budget, all salmon stamp revenue was directed to fund the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
In our riding of Okanagan-Shuswap we received $95,000 for various projects. The actual announcement of the projects will be released on Oct. 5.
It was a great summer and I am always happy to be home with my family. It was also great to celebrate the investments your government in Ottawa is making in our riding.
– Colin Mayes is the Member of Parliament for Okanagan-Shuswap.
