The Îles-de-la-Madeleine are an iconic region of great importance for all Canadians – from providing seafood to tourism opportunities. By investing in critical infrastructure in the region, we are creating good jobs and supporting the local economy for generations to come.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced a new investment of almost $40 million over four years, starting in 2022-23, to rebuild the fishers’ wharf at the Port of Cap-aux-Meules, an important gateway for transportation, fishing, and tourism in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec.
With this new funding, the fishers’ wharf will be demolished and reconstructed to ensure it can continue to serve the local fishery, which provides good jobs to over 1,300 people – about 10 per cent of the region’s population. Construction could begin as early as 2024.
The Government of Canada is supporting rural and remote communities throughout the country and addressing their unique realities and challenges. As we build a better future for everyone, we will continue to be there for people living in rural and remote communities so they can have equal access to economic growth, good jobs, and new opportunities.
Quotes
“When our remote communities are stronger, our country is stronger. The Port of Cap-aux-Meules is critical to the Madelinots, their well-being, and the local economy. The funding we are announcing today will create good jobs and economic opportunities for years to come.”
“With this long-awaited announcement for the community of the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, our government is demonstrating its commitment to the viability of the fishers’ wharf at the Port of Cap-aux-Meules, while ensuring the safety of wharf users and allowing long-term operations to be maintained.”
“We are here today to welcome great news that will benefit all the Madelinots. The wharf at the Port of Cap-aux-Meules is truly the beating heart of the Islands. It is the main connection between the Islands and the mainland, and it is the key driver of the local economy, for tourism and seafood industries alike. Our government is committed to listening to Canadians, and today is another example of this at work. We know that rural and remote communities all have the ability to thrive when we give them the tools they need.”
Quick Facts
The Port of Cap-aux-Meules is the main gateway for passengers and cargo to and from the Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
The fishers’ wharf at the Port of Cap-aux-Meules was built some 50 years ago and is reaching the end of its operational life cycle. The last detailed inspection of the wharf confirmed a significant deterioration of its concrete structure in certain areas, reducing the capacity of the wharf to support heavy loads. Transport Canada immediately implemented restrictions to ensure the safety of users and installed a temporary wharf in 2022 to provide for the missing mooring posts.
In advance of today’s announcement, the government conducted consultations with wharf users and a study to determine what repairs were required to allow the wharf to continue to serve the local community.
The Government of Canada conducts regular maintenance and annual inspections to ensure the safety of its facilities and of activities taking place on those sites.
OTTAWA – The parliamentary budget officer says the federal government likely failed to keep its deficit below its promised $40 billion cap in the last fiscal year.
However the PBO also projects in its latest economic and fiscal outlook today that weak economic growth this year will begin to rebound in 2025.
The budget watchdog estimates in its report that the federal government posted a $46.8 billion deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland pledged a year ago to keep the deficit capped at $40 billion and in her spring budget said the deficit for 2023-24 stayed in line with that promise.
The final tally of the last year’s deficit will be confirmed when the government publishes its annual public accounts report this fall.
The PBO says economic growth will remain tepid this year but will rebound in 2025 as the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts stimulate spending and business investment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the level of food insecurity increased in 2022 as inflation hit peak levels.
In a report using data from the Canadian community health survey, the agency says 15.6 per cent of households experienced some level of food insecurity in 2022 after being relatively stable from 2017 to 2021.
The reading was up from 9.6 per cent in 2017 and 11.6 per cent in 2018.
Statistics Canada says the prevalence of household food insecurity was slightly lower and stable during the pandemic years as it fell to 8.5 per cent in the fall of 2020 and 9.1 per cent in 2021.
In addition to an increase in the prevalence of food insecurity in 2022, the agency says there was an increase in the severity as more households reported moderate or severe food insecurity.
It also noted an increase in the number of Canadians living in moderately or severely food insecure households was also seen in the Canadian income survey data collected in the first half of 2023.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct 16, 2024.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales in August fell to their lowest level since January 2022 as sales in the primary metal and petroleum and coal product subsectors fell.
The agency says manufacturing sales fell 1.3 per cent to $69.4 billion in August, after rising 1.1 per cent in July.
The drop came as sales in the primary metal subsector dropped 6.4 per cent to $5.3 billion in August, on lower prices and lower volumes.
Sales in the petroleum and coal product subsector fell 3.7 per cent to $7.8 billion in August on lower prices.
Meanwhile, sales of aerospace products and parts rose 7.3 per cent to $2.7 billion in August and wood product sales increased 3.8 per cent to $3.1 billion.
Overall manufacturing sales in constant dollars fell 0.8 per cent in August.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
