Mayor Lyn Hall Supports Federal Budget
Prince George, B.C. – Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall has given this week’s federal budget a big thumbs up.
One key area he liked was the government’s promise to invest $120 billion in infrastructure over the next decade – though details on how it will be rolled out, or exactly how much they’ll be getting, isn’t clear yet.
“One of the things I wanted to have happen with infrastructure money from the federal government is that we have more flexibility and I’m seeing that in the highlights of the budget information that’s come to us,” says Hall.
“It seems to give us more flexibility when it comes to the projects – eligible costs will now be expanded to include things like design engineering and other planning costs.”
(He’s also encouraged by a pledge from the feds to kick in up to 50% of the costs of these projects as opposed to a third, but is awaiting more details).
As for how the City plans to spend the money it receives, Hall says a few projects come to mind.
“We’re doing the downtown transit exchange, (at the Wood Design Innovation Park, behind the WIDC building) that’s one of them,” says Hall, who adds another concerns the City’s snow disposable facility at the corner of Foothills and 15th Avenue.
“So my question is does that fall under the green infrastructure funding? We’re trying to remove that, relocate it so that we can revitalize that particular corner.”
He also wonders if the Four Seasons Pool would qualify. “Is that a social infrastructure facility?”
Hall is also hoping the City will be able to capitalize on a promise to bring high-speed internet to more rural communities.
“It looks like they’ve indicated about $500 million over five years,” he says.
“When we were in Ottawa talking about high speed broadband we were also talking about redundancy capabilities which is an important piece for Prince George. Particularly when we go out and try to entice various companies to invest here around IT.”
Hall was also thrilled with the government’s commitment to reopen the city’s Veterans Affairs office, noting it’s something his Council has been supportive of from day one.
“Absolutely. We were working very, very had with the local representatives from the Royal Canadian Legion here, they’ve taken a major role in lobbying and meeting and trying to get this pushed through. It’s an absolute need not only for Prince George but the entire region.”
But he hasn’t been given a time line on when it will happen.
“So I anticipate now what they’ll be looking at doing is how they’re going to reopen in Prince George, where they’re going to reopen that office and what it looks like. I would suspect they’re working on those fine details now.”
Comments
“…with infrastructure money from the federal government is that we have more flexibility…”
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Uh-huh.
And then he talks about a number of things that I wouldn’t consider infrastructure for the city, but no mention of the needed sewer and water upgrades that clearly are infrastructure.
The mayor needs to learn the definition of “priorities” before he starts spending.
No photo ops for the Mayor at a sewer line.
They don’t tell you that under the current budget we already spend over 5 billion a year on infrastructure so 120 billion is not new money but about half should be.
Except when you examine the budget that money seems to be missing with the exception of bout 11.9 billion in infrastructure spending over 5 years or 2.4 billion a year. Maybe the 3.5 billion for parks is part of this infrastructure money? that puts it around 5.9 billion. Add in 400 million for water infrastructure (2 billion over 5 years) and we are still at only 6.3 billion of the 10 billion promised per year, and only 1.3 billion more than the previous budget from the Conservatives…
Maybe marketing Canada as an “innovation centre” is part of the infrastructure spending? Or the 8.4 billion over 5 years is part of the promise? And maybe the 2 billion over 3 years for campus research? Maybe our resident expert on the Liberals can crunch the numbers and come up with the 120 billion over 10 years for infrastructure, or maybe our mayor can show us how the numbers add up in the budget?
The PAC probably received a boost as 1.9 billion over the next 5 years is earmarked for that, except they don’t tell you what we are currently at in Arts spending. Does this mean a third share for projects becomes a half a well federally? Hold on to your hats folks taxes are about to explode municipally coming up with our half shares for projects
Hopefully the Mayor and Council will take due diligence in finding useful projects to spend this money on. We don’t need to be spending money on projects that are not necessary.
The Mayor and Council need to keep the taxpayers apprised as to what projects they are looking at, and of course the cost, and the City’s portion.
In my opinion we shouldn’t be borrowing money for the Cities portion of these projects.
Can you say AAP?
I’m glad Mayor Hall isn’t running Canada,lol. He believes money falls out of the sky like Justin. Canada is broke. Most of this is BS.
Canada will never be broke because canada has the tax act . Stop subsidizing the fossils to the tune of 46 billion a year and we’re awash in cash .
hahahahahaha
Yes, Canada, along with our triple A credit rating, is broke. Thanks for pointing that out.
You are wasting your fingers typing logical things out to this crowd. As am I.
Nothing but ad hominem attacks based on a high level of functional illiteracy. Luckily smarter voters cam out during the election this time around. Harper was given full control and he botched it.
Yes gus, we get it. You are so much better then the rest of us. I bow before your superior intellect.
I see these threads as a sort of brain storming session on the topic at hand. I don’t see anyone person speaking for ‘we’ nor anything opined here being official or as any kind of authority. It’s just personal opinions floating ideas and memes to flush out people’s thoughts on the subjects at hand.
I don’t understand why people take what is said on the threads as something personal when they don’t agree with a viewpoint or line of reasoning. We don’t all have to agree to get along.
My experience is that I either don’t agree with or have others not agreeing with my viewpoints. I’ve had the most thumbs up and the most thumbs down often on the same topic. So be it, maybe someone got some educational value out of it… lol.
gopg2015, you seem to be getting into the habit of “suggesting” that you are a teeny tiny bit more intelligent than others that post on this site.
In the spirit of your comment on this thread, I thought that I would remind you of another comment that you posted earlier today on another thread.
“For this site, I am not about to bother to get that type of accuracy. Most people would not even understand what is being discussed.”
I’m wondering if there is any particular reason why you still post on this site?
Well said Eagleone!
Hall is also hoping the City will be able to capitalize on a promise to bring high-speed internet to more rural communities. This will have the real estate folks and land owners smiling .
Yes, because high speed internet to rural communities is more important than functioning sewers in urban communities.
PG will automatically capitalize on the high speed build out to rural communities by way of divise sales ,other hardware and maintenance . Where do you suppose all those workers will live ? Would be pretty sweet to live at one of the lakes while working online . Stroke some keys , then stroke some oars . Here fishy fishy .
A promise only those companies who provide high speed internet can fulfill unless the City goes into the internet provider service. I suppose they already are in the gas distribution service. Why should internet not follow. Makes perfect sense … ;-)
Was just checking out satellite internet availability. I believe Telus has it available as well as Galaxy and HughesNet. There might be others.
Does anyone posting on here have satellite internet access? I am curious about cost. Moat providers need a call. That sort of indicates still expensive at this time. With the C$ at 75% value against the US$ it does not help.
Just search ” satellite ( pick your carrier ) Internet reviews ” it’s slow , it’s expensive . Remember dial up ?
gopg2015
So the smarter voters came out and voted this time around. Hmmmmm. If they are so smart how come it took them that long to come out.???
Too easy.
In 2011, the NDP had Jack Layton as a leader. The Liberals had Ignatief. Given that, Canadians were willing to give Harper a majority and the NDP the privilege of being the official opposition for the first time.
In 2015, Canadians experienced what Harper does on his own, had a weaker leader for the NDP and a stronger leader for the Liberals.
It was time to go back to the Liberals. Whether that was a good choice, unlike many on this site, including you, I am prepared to support the governing party and their new leader for at least a couple of years.
So far, I am seeing more positive than negative.
I am also well aware of the feeling in the West about the Trudeau name. It is basically mud. However, that is not the case in the east where I came from and is certainly not the case in world politics and, like it or not, Canada has an excellent reputation in the world as a neutral broker. Harper did not understand how important that is.
Gopg2015 you got played and don’t even realize it. Trudeau has done nothing and the budget is a payoff to the fiberal powerbrokers, scandals starting in 5,4,3…
Don’t worry, I will realize it if in a couple of years of his running the country things do not improve from where we were when he took over the reigns.
I continue to be amazed at your prediction powers.
If we are still on this site in two years, let’s see where we stand then.
Of course, since we are not running a shadow country led by Harper at the same time, nobody in the country, including you and I can say whether Harper would have done better.
In the meantime, I am assuming you like posting on here and I continue to like to do so for some very bizarre reason. :-)
Federal things I would like to see funding for in PG include money for city sewer projects, maybe a new roller dome, and major highway improvements to the Yellowhead trans Canada highway starting with an Ospika overpass to Walmart, a Peden Hill overpass at Cowart Road for safety and choke point reasons; and commitments to more rest stops on the highway, some passing lanes, and eventually a south Fraser crossing for a dangerous goods ring road route.
In my opinion a roller dome should be provided by a private business. There is one in North Oaks Plaza in Thousand Oaks, California. It was built in 1994 and still going as a community centre within a shopping centre. Perhaps it can be put on Pine Centre Mall property or the Hart Hwy Mall, or CH box store haven.
link: rollerdome.com
I am not sure anymore whether Ospika should be linked to the Mall. The entrance to the Mall is from HWY 16. I think a huge mistake was made when the Tyner Road intersection with HWY 16 west was not built as a grade separation. HWY16 should be treated as a highway first and as a city arterial second. That means a limited number of signalized intersections. The crash records at the Ferry and the Tyner intersections speak for themselves.
I agree with a grade separation at Cowart Road.
As far as rest stops go, we certainly do not have the quality and functions of rest stops that are found in the USA. They are used extensively by truckers as true rest stops.
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