PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Chrystia Freeland on Thursday met with Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart in Ottawa to discuss shared priorities. Trudeau reaffirmed his commitment to work collaboratively with Stewart to support Vancouver’s priorities for economic and social development.
Trudeau, Freeland and Stewart discussed shared investments being made in priority public transit projects through the Investing in Canada Plan, which will help improve commutes, cut air pollution, build prosperous communities and support the transition to a clean economy, according to a PMO statement.
The three also discussed the significant investments being made in housing and the importance of ensuring all residents of Vancouver have access to a range of affordable housing. They also discussed the impact of the opioid crisis and measures the federal government and the City are taking, in collaboration with the BC Government, to help save lives.
They also agreed to continue collaborating on Vancouver’s priorities and looked forward to their next meeting.
Stewart, in a tweet, thanked Trudeau for “taking the time to meet,” adding: “Ottawa and the West need to work together on areas like housing, transit and opioid overdoses and I’m committed to deepening our strong partnership & improving people’s lives.”