WITH the Canadian federal election on the horizon, Metro Vancouver is shining a spotlight on the need to strengthen and financially support investments in critical infrastructure through its Local Government Matters platform.
“Although pandemic response and economic recovery will continue to dominate the election discourse, we want to ensure the needs of local communities are also a part of the conversation,” said Sav Dhaliwal, Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors, on Thursday. “As we face national and global issues together, we must also consider our immediate context and make wise investments to ensure our communities have the foundation they need to thrive well into the future.”
Launching Thursday, Local Government Matters 2021 gives residents and media a chance to see how the parties plan to address critical local issues related to the long-term sustainability, resilience and quality of life in the Metro Vancouver region.
“Local infrastructure touches our lives every day, often invisibly, and it underlies the economic, environmental, and social well-being of the region,” said Linda Buchanan, Vice Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors. “Metro Vancouver is well positioned to address issues like local climate resilience, affordable housing, and ecological protection, but we can only succeed if there is equitable cost-sharing support from other orders of government.”
Metro Vancouver has sent the major parties contesting the 2021 federal election six questions in three key issue areas:
- Investments in critical infrastructure
- Climate resiliency
- Affordable housing
The website localgovernmentmatters.ca will be updated regularly as responses are received in the weeks leading up to the federal election on September 20.
Local Government Matters is a web-based, non-partisan initiative that builds on the importance of developing and maintaining an effective working partnership with the next federal government so that we can collaboratively and effectively address the complex issues facing the region. The initiative aligns closely with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ key priorities, including its call for the re-establishment of long-term and dedicated funding for water and wastewater infrastructure as a reliable, long-term contribution toward essential infrastructure.
