Statement made on 16 June 2009 by Senator Maria Chaput
Hon. Maria Chaput:
My second question is also for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.
On Wednesday, May 27, I asked a question about the government's policy on linguistic duality. I also mentioned that some organizations in my community are weak and drained of resources and have difficulty planning because they are often waiting to see what they will receive. The minister asked me for details about the organizations, so that she could provide a more fulsome reply. Today I can give a specific example of an infrastructure project in Manitoba.
In the spring of 2007, the Manitoba Association of Bilingual Municipalities and the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities considered a high-speed Internet project to give 50 to 60 communities in rural Manitoba access to this essential service. In September 2007, a funding application was submitted to the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund. One year later, in the fall of 2008, the Council was informed that this fund would be replaced by the new Building Canada Fund and that a new application would have to be submitted. The new application and business plan were submitted in February 2009 to the Building Canada Fund with the support of the Government of Manitoba. In May 2009, the Council was informed that the project had been denied and that this infrastructure project would be submitted under a new infrastructure program subsidized by Industry Canada and a new funding formula called a public-private partnership or PPP.
Are these delays and changes reasonable? How can a community develop and flourish under such circumstances?
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