The infrastructure priorities of the province were delivered to the federal Minister of Infrastructure today at a roundtable discussion in Charlottetown, says Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Robert Vessey.
“Today’s meeting was an excellent opportunity to discuss a long-term infrastructure deal between the province and the federal government,” said Minister Vessey. “Not only were we able to stress the need for a flexible and accessible program for all Island communities, but we were also able to express our priority needs for the whole province like sewer and water, roads and bridges, and energy security.”
Stakeholders from various interest groups, community and business leaders were in attendance at today’s roundtable session with federal Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel and Minister of National Revenue Gail Shea.
“I made it very clear to both federal ministers that any new program must be accessible not only to large centres like Charlottetown and Summerside but also to smaller, rural municipalities across the province,” said Minister Vessey. “Those communities’ needs differ greatly from the needs of larger centres, so strict guidelines for the types of projects that will be funded under a new program could negatively impact smaller jurisdictions.”
Minister Vessey also had an opportunity to meet one-on-one with both Minister Lebel and Minister Shea. At that meeting, Minister Vessey talked about specific needs for the province, like a new power cable and long-term, secure funding for Northumberland Ferries, which he described as an essential transportation service for Prince Edward Island.
Today’s meeting was the first step toward securing a long-term deal that could address the infrastructure deficit in the province. Further discussions will be held in the coming weeks and months that will help shape a new infrastructure deal.