Check Against Delivery

Notes for an address by

The Honourable Lynne Yelich
Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification

Funding Announcement

Corresponding Document: News Release (2009-06-25)

Thank you

Honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. It is a pleasure to be here today on behalf of the Government of Canada.

To begin, I would also like to acknowledge today’s other participants;

• Bob Bjornerud, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Agriculture
• Grant Pederson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for SSRID

To help ensure that Canada emerges from the current recession stronger than ever, our Government has been taking concrete, effective and targeted steps to stimulate and sustain our economy through Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

By June 11… Just 10 weeks into this fiscal year, 80% of our Plan’s funding has been committed and is being implemented across the country.

Today, our absolute priority remains the same: to continue doing everything we can to deliver timely, targeted and affordable support to the Canadian workers, families and businesses who need it most.

The plan includes one initiative in particular, the Community Adjustment Fund – or CAF as it is known. CAF is a $1 billion Canada-wide two-year economic stimulus designed to create jobs and maintain employment in communities hardest hit by the global recession.

The fund supports affected communities right here in Western Canada, such as those that rely on resource-based industries – like forestry, mining, agriculture and fisheries, as well as communities that depend on the manufacturing sector.

It provides a short-term response that will help ensure Canada’s economic strength by creating and maintaining jobs right now, and in the places they’re needed most.

Today, I am pleased to announce, our Government is taking another step towards economic recovery by announcing that three Irrigation Districts in Saskatchewan will receive a total of $4.77 million in Government of Canada funding under CAF.

With this investment, the South Saskatchewan River Irrigation District will receive $1.44 million and the Town of Outlook, the Rural Municipalities of Rudy, Loreburn, Fertile Valley and Rosedale on the eastern side of Lake Diefenbaker will expand their irrigation capacity by 7,000 acres.

The Riverhurst Irrigation District will receive $1.44 million and the Towns of Riverhurst and Central Butte, the RMs of Enfield and Maple Bush, south of Lake Diefenbaker will increase its access to irrigation by 4,000 acres.

And finally, the Luck Lake Irrigation District will receive $1.89 million and the Towns of Lucky Lake, Birsay and the RMs of Couteau and Caanan will also be increasing their access to irrigation by 4,000 acres.

This means that we will be creating 60 long-term jobs and sustaining a total of 223 jobs!

It’s a well-known fact that expansions in irrigation in most rural areas attracts investments, increases employment, and creates wealth.

It’s always a challenge to ensure that crops receive the necessary water for healthy growth, but this year reminds us of how difficult it can be when farmers rely entirely on the weather.

Record low rain levels in Saskatchewan and Alberta have many people talking about what could become a devastating drought for the agriculture industry this year. It is hoped that today’s investment will assist communities as they weather the current economic crisis and future drought conditions.

I am proud our Government can help deliver opportunities like this to impacted communities like yours. Investing in projects such as these will help our region withstand the current economic climate.

These projects are just one of many western Canadian initiatives receiving support under CAF. In total, the Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada, will invest $306 million across the West.

CAF is a key initiative that emphasizes our Government’s commitment to ensuring Canada’s continued economic success at this time of global economic instability.

We will continue to work with the West to strengthen all communities, and help them to remain strong, healthy and resilient for generations to come.

Today’s announcement is about addressing our present challenges and building a better future. And, I am confident that investments such as these will help ensure the West remains strong, because a stronger West means a stronger Canada.

Thank you.