Graham's priorities
Premier Shawn Graham has raised three main requests for action with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Here's a primer:
Route 1
What is it?
Route 1 is four lanes from River Glade to Lepreau, but between Lepreau and St. Stephen it remains two lanes except for a small section in Pennfield.
Another 26-kilometre stretch between Waweig and St. Stephen is being twinned to four this summer thanks to $60 million in federal and provincial funding.
But 55 kilometres of highway remain to be done.
Work is starting this summer to twin a section between Pennfield and Lepreau. Half the money for that was committed under a $414-million provincial highway deal Harper and Graham struck in June 2007.
But that still leaves a two-lane section between Pennfield and Waweig, as well as upgrades to the Rte. 7 interchange.
Why does it matter?
The two-lane stretch is a slower, more dangerous highway. And it's the last piece of the puzzle on the Canadian side in an ongoing effort to improve traffic flow to and in one of the busiest border crossing routes in North America - a goal that's all the more crucial in advance of the energy projects slated for Saint John.
What is New Brunswick asking for?
Ottawa to pay half of the $275 million price tag, or $137.5 million.
Francophone immigration
What is it?
Proportionately, more francophones have left New Brunswick in recent years than Anglophones, and the province has identified an opportunity to stem that outmigration by tapping into Ottawa's longstanding support for minority official-language communities.
Why does it matter?
Maintaining linguistic balance is important as the province's population grows. Past experience shows that without special efforts to maintain that balance, immigrants who speak English or who adopt English will vastly outnumber those who speak or adopt French.
What is New Brunswick asking for?
$5.8 million a year for three years to help recruit francophones - possibly by having a consular official overseas dedicated to New Brunswick recruitment - and integrate them in communities.
Centre of excellence in advanced training technology
What is it?
A centre that would build on the work already done at CFB Gagetown to train soldiers by using sophisticated computer simulators to mimic aspects of combat operations. The software developed there has already been adopted by U.S. police forces and others. The centre would build on the resources of the defence department, the University of New Brunswick and other institutions, and the National Research Council office and information technology sector in Fredericton and possibly global defence contractors.
Why does it matter?
The province sees enormous potential to create a new economic cluster by developing expertise and product that could be exported worldwide, diversifying the economy.
What is New Brunswick asking for?
$5 million a year over three years from Ottawa, with the province sharing up-front costs.
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What is it?
Proportionately, more francophones have left New Brunswick in recent years than Anglophones, and the province has identified an opportunity to stem that outmigration by tapping into Ottawa's longstanding support for minority official-language communities.
Why does it matter?
Maintaining linguistic balance is important as the province's population grows. Past experience shows that without special efforts to maintain that balance, immigrants who speak English or who adopt English will vastly outnumber those who speak or adopt French.
What is New Brunswick asking for?
$5.8 million a year for three years to help recruit francophones - possibly by having a consular official overseas dedicated to New Brunswick recruitment - and integrate them in communities"
OR!!!! We could produce our own francophones. And how would one go about recruiting francophones to a province with an education system that is about to explode?