Atlantic Canadian mayors are calling on the federal government to get infrastructure stimulus cash flowing into municipalities sooner rather than later.
“We are concerned that delays in announcing details on how municipalities can access the fund might mean that we will lose this construction season,” Halifax Regional Municipality Mayor Peter Kelly, who hosted a meeting with leaders from across the region late last week, said in a release.
Other concerns discussed at the Atlantic Mayors Congress, which ran from Thursday through Saturday, include cuts at the CBC and the economy’s effect on air service.
“With our sparse population and remote communities, we are concerned that air service to our region could be further affected,” Kelly said. “We need a passenger bill of rights in place to ensure that the interests of air travellers are protected.”
Mayors from the largest municipalities in this part of the country attend the Atlantic Mayors Congress, which meets twice yearly to share concerns and foster collaboration.
“This is not the time to cut services to the region or delay job-creating investments,” Kelly said. “This is the time to focus on the needs of people and communities and not cut Atlantic Canada adrift.”
