Securing a Sustainable Future

Strengthening Labrador

Mr. Speaker, in Labrador, the opportunities for development are amazing. Last year, we announced the Northern Strategic Plan for Labrador, a five-year, $250 million undertaking to tackle multiple challenges and seize magnificent opportunities to advance economic development and social justice in Labrador. In this second year of the Northern Strategic Plan, as we follow through on a range of multi-year initiatives already announced, we are also allocating an additional $6.7 million for new initiatives that will continue to meet the needs of Labradorians while enabling people in Labrador to take full advantage of opportunities on the horizon. In addition, the total investment under the five-year plan is now projected to be over $300 million.

We recognize that Labrador coastal communities rely heavily on winter trails as a means of transportation, especially those communities that are not connected by road. Last year, we allocated an additional $150,000 for the Labrador Grooming Subsidy under the Northern Strategic Plan. This year, we are allocating $200,000 in coastal Labrador to commence the re-routing of trails away from water crossings and to re-cut overgrown areas on certain sections of the trail system. We are also committing $275,000 this year to purchase a winter trail groomer for operation from the community of Postville.

We are providing $2.1 million for a new depot in the Cartwright Junction area. In addition, we have allocated $17 million for construction of Phase III of the Trans-Labrador Highway and $45 million in cost-shared funding to widen and hard-surface Phase I of the highway. We are also allocating $4.5 million under the Provincial Roads Improvement Program for various projects throughout Labrador. This brings the total investment in road work in Labrador this year to $66.5 million.

Transportation challenges also obligate many Labradorians to rely heavily on the Air-Foodlift Subsidy Program. In conjunction with the Poverty Reduction Strategy, we are increasing funding for this program from $400,000 to $600,000 in order to ensure nutritious, perishable goods are available in coastal Labrador communities at rates more in line with the costs of similar products in other communities throughout our province.

Another initiative builds on the success of the National Aboriginal Women’s Summit, which was held in this province in July of 2007. We are providing funding to assist a committee composed of provincial senior executive officials and representatives of Aboriginal women as they examine ways to implement the Summit’s recommendations. Additional funding will provide analytical support to assist in the analysis and implementation of these recommendations.

We are making strong capital investments in Labrador this year, including capital funding in the K-12 system, $1.6 million toward the new francophone school in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, $7 million for the new school in L’Anse-au-Loup, $1 million for the school in Port Hope Simpson, $750,000 for the College of the North Atlantic campus in Labrador West, our $5.2 million inclusive of cost-shared funding to complete the Mealy Mountain Auditorium, $13.4 million for the long-term care home in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, $3.6 million for Health and Community Services offices in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, $1.8 million for the Labrador West health centre, $850,000 for RNC housing in Churchill Falls and $300,000 for a new correctional facility in Labrador for women and youth.

Other new initiatives benefiting Labrador include new geoscience funding, new positions responsible for natural resources and the environment, implementation of an Intangible Cultural Heritage strategy for Aboriginal peoples, an Aboriginal Literacy Development Consultant, improvements to the justice system that I will highlight presently, additional social workers, expansion of the Happy Valley-Goose Bay Government Service Centre to provide full-service motor vehicle registration, assistance to promote participation in the North American Indigenous Games, and a 20 per cent funding increase for the Combined Councils of Labrador.