Larry O’Brien

Earlier today the province made me aware that they are providing a financial commitment of $15,986,200 for the provincial share of the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge project.

Together with an equal commitment from the City of Ottawa and the Federal Government as part of the Building Canada Fund this important infrastructure project is now fully funded and on track to begin construction this year.

The commitment from all three levels of government was made in June of 2009 but with today’s announcement of a funding agreement we can proceed with issuing the RFP for construction.

The arch bridge will connect the communities of Barrhaven with Riverside South and will have 3 lanes for traffic  and dedicated lanes for public transit and cyclists.

The project was made possible through the cooperation of all three levels of government and the local politicians who have made this a priority, including Riverside South Councillor Steve Desroches and Barrhaven Councillor Jan Harder.

Today the Ottawa Police Services Board released its latest report showing that, in 2009, there was a marked decrease in crimes against people and property in our city.

The “2009: A Year in Review” report also shows that our police officers are responding to all calls quickly and professionally, in line with our police force’s outstanding reputation.

As Chief Vernon White has said, while Ottawa is known to be one of Canada’s safest cities, the work of our first responders, residents, and community at large is integral in protecting our streets.

As a municipal government, our primary responsibility and concern is the safety and security of our residents. The City is doing its part through ongoing investment in policing services through the Strategic Staffing Initiative (SSI).

The City’s close partnership with our police force means that officers have a strong presence here, and also allows for close cooperation with paramedic, fire and by-law services. It also allows the Ottawa Police Service to be a model of integrated policing with its national capital area partners – RCMP, OPP, Sûreté du Québec, Gatineau Police, Canadian Border Services, and the Military Police.

I am extremely proud of our police force’s achievements and commend all of our first responders for their ongoing work to make Ottawa a safe place in which to live and raise our families.

With the tabling of today’s provincial budget we continue to see the lingering effects of the global economic downturn and the pressure that provincial government spending has placed on Ontario taxpayers.

The record deficit has limited the province’s options for support to municipalities in this year’s budget, and I am concerned that the province’s future plan to reduce the deficit could come at the expense of needed funds for important municipal projects such as social housing, transit and public health.

I am pleased that the province has recognized the important role that cities play in the delivery of childcare. The addition of $63.5 million a year to be shared between all Ontario municipalities will allow us to protect childcare spaces.

I am also pleased that the province has recognized the problematic effects of high corporate tax rates on job creation and innovation and I applaud their intention to continue to reduce the corporate tax rate.

I am disappointed that the government did not use this budget to adopt a broad public sector wage freeze. Ontario’s municipalities, school boards and hospitals are dealing with wage increases well above the rate of inflation, and this measure would have allowed the City of Ottawa to reduce pressure on taxpayers while closing the gap between public and private sector salaries.

Lastly, I am concerned with the proposal to slow the pace of planning and construction of some of the province’s capital projects once stimulus funding has ended. We have recently seen the benefits of increased partnership between all three levels of government in repairing our aging infrastructure and building new projects like the Ottawa Congress Centre. Any delay in future capital investments could have the negative effect of restoring the infrastructure gap.

I look forward to discussing measures in this budget that will directly impact the City of Ottawa with our provincial partners.

Tonight marks the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games. During these games, Canada will see 600 athletes compete in 5 sports and 64 separate medal events.

The Paralympic Games represent a rich tradition that began shortly after the Second World War. The original event has grown to become an international sporting competition that includes participants from across the globe.

For our region, there are many local connections to the games, and specifically to tonight’s opening ceremonies.

Jean Labonté, captain of the Canadian sledge-hockey team, was selected Monday as flag-bearer for Canada at the opening ceremonies. The 40-year-old Gatineau native has competed in three previous Paralympics, bringing home a gold medal in 2006, a silver medal in 1998, and a bronze medal in 1994.

To mark the games here in Ottawa, the Paralympic flag will be raised at City Hall this evening at 9:00 p.m. The flag will be flown until the conclusion of the Games on March 21.

For Ottawa residents looking to watch the action, CTV will be carrying the gold medal game in Sledge Hockey, Sportsnet will be covering daily highlights, and the entire games will be broadcast live at www.paralympicsport.tv.

My best wishes to each and every Paralympic participant for a successful 2010 Games.