FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PEACE COUNTRY RECEIVES HIGHWAY FUNDING FROM GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

GRANDE PRAIRIE, June 9, 2009 — Chris Warkentin, Member of Parliament for Peace River, together with Peace River MLA Frank Oberle, Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Wayne Drysdale, and Grande Prairie-Smoky MLA, the Honourable Mel Knight, are pleased to announce funding for highway upgrades in and around Grande Prairie and High Level. These projects will be funded jointly by matching federal and provincial money for a total investment of $50 million in the Peace Country. The funding is part of the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund announced earlier this year.

“This is a great investment in the highway infrastructure of the Peace Country. Not only will residents benefit from road improvements, but jobs will be created locally to complete the work,” said MP Warkentin, “The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta are committed to working together in order to deliver real results for the people of the Peace Country.”

Highway 43X (the new bypass) will see upgrades to 6.7 km of highway and service roads between 116^th St. (R.R. #63) and Highway 2 and Highway 43 intersection north of Grande Prairie.  $13.2 million from both the province and the federal government, for a total of $26.4 million, will be invested in this project, with construction due to start August 1, 2009 and completion by December 1, 2010. 

“Investment in highways for the Peace Country is critical to ensuring a safe and efficient regional transportation network,” said Wayne Drysdale, MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti. “I am pleased that we are working in co-operation with the federal government on this project as it will support needed upgrades and help stimulate our economy by keeping people working.”

“The continuation of a goods and services corridor is necessary for future development.  We appreciate the cooperation from all levels of government to make these projects possible”, said Grande Prairie-Smoky MLA, the Honourable Mel Knight.

Highway 58 will also be upgraded in a number of locations- 13.7 km east of Chinchaga River to the Sixth Meridian, 15.7 km from south of Negus River to west of High Level, (including the bridge culvert) and 23.3 km of Garden River Road from east of the Wentzel River to the Wood Buffalo Park Boundary to convert Garden River Road to Highway 58.  Each level of Government will be contributing $11.8 million on these upgrades, for a total of $23.6 million. Construction is due to start August 1, 2009 with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2011.

“This is great news for the Peace Country” said Frank Oberle, MLA for Peace River. “These projects are critical for the delivery of services in our region, and they are made possible by the co-operation and support of all governments.”

The new federal $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund provides funding to provincial, territorial and municipal construction-ready infrastructure rehabilitation projects that will be built during this year’s and next year’s construction seasons.

The Government of Canada’s 2009 Economic Action Plan is accelerating and expanding the existing federal investment of $33 billion in infrastructure across Canada with almost $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over the next two years.

Central to Alberta’s Budget 2009 is Alberta’s Capital Plan, which supports $7.2 billion in 2009-10 and a record $23.2 billion over three years to build roads, health care facilities, schools and other public infrastructure. This year’s investment alone will support over 80,000 jobs across the economy directly benefitting Albertans and Alberta communities.

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For more information please contact:

 Chris Warkentin, MP, (780) 538-1677

Frank Oberle, MLA, (780) 624-5400

Hon. Mel Knight, MLA, (780) 513-1233

Wayne Drysdale, MLA, (780) 538-1800