In what she described as likely her last throne speech, Lieut.-Gov. Janice Filmon laid out the Stefanson government’s plan of action for the next session, an agenda in which infrastructure investment was called a key driver of economic recovery and growth.
“Investments in roads and bridges, and water and waste systems are the underpinnings of our economic growth strategy and improve our quality of life,” Filmon said. “Proposals for much-needed municipal investments are now before federal and provincial governments” and the government will seek “early agreement” on the funding necessary to start the modernization and expansion of Winnipeg’s wastewater treatment plant.
“To grow our economy, we must also make Manitoba more attractive as we compete for investment and trade opportunities around the globe,” Filmon said, adding Manitoba’s priorities would be achieved through a renewed relationship with Ottawa.
“Our shared priorities include transportation, strategic climate resilient infrastructure, agriculture and food production. Water strategies and investments not only combat droughts but ensure safe water for communities and enable more investments.”
“We were happy to see that Premier Stefanson is continuing with the prioritization of core and trade-enabling infrastructure investment, which this government is committed to thinking strategically about,” MHCA President Chris Lorenc said.
Lorenc noted that the premier, at the recent MHCA Awards Presentation, stressed that her government would move to multi-year budget planning for highways capital. Further, in his comments to the MHCA members at the presentation, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler noted that his government’s Trade & Commerce Grid project, when complete, will have added 1,000 kilometres to the 6,000 trade-highway grid system, capable of carrying the heaviest truck loads.
Further, expanding from the work to turn the Perimeter Highway into a freeway, removing access points from secondary roads, next year the province will explain its intent to begin the planning to upgrade the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 75 to similar freeway status.
Schuler said this is a multi-year project that will be completed over the next decades.