The Quebec Lieutenant, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, visited Longueuil for his first official meeting with Mayor Catherine Fournier. The two officials discussed how Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable will support municipalities to create good jobs, grow our economy, and make sure nobody gets left behind.
April 14, 2022 – Longueuil, Quebec
The Quebec Lieutenant, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, visited Longueuil for his first official meeting with Mayor Catherine Fournier. The two officials discussed how Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable will support municipalities to create good jobs, grow our economy, and make sure nobody gets left behind.
“I have been meeting with mayors all over Quebec for years, and I honestly think our budget will tangibly address many of their needs,” the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec Lieutenant said. “We are rising to the challenge in terms of green jobs, fighting climate change, more affordable electric vehicles, as well as affordable housing and municipal infrastructure. I discussed these things with the Mayor, and I really believe that this is the beginning of a fine partnership.”
“I would like to thank Mr. Rodriguez for his visit to Longueuil’s city hall, during which I was able to share with him our administration’s priorities, such as housing and fighting climate change,” Longueuil’s mayor, Catherine Fournier, said. “The last federal budget contained good news, especially in terms of public transit funding. Thanks to a substantial contribution from the federal government, combined with one from the Quebec government and the exemplary management of RTL, we will be able to make up our shortfall for this year. Further, I would like to point out the $1.5 billion dedicated to extending the Rapid Housing Initiative, which has proven successful over the last year. Note that the urban agglomeration of Longueuil has received $9 million from this funding envelope for 2021-22, which allowed construction of some 60 social and community housing units to proceed. However, since there are almost 1,500 households on waiting lists for affordable rental housing in Longueuil, we need even bigger investments to have a positive impact here, and I know the government is aware of this. In short, I would like to thank Mr. Rodriguez again for listening and reiterate my desire to collaborate in the future.”
As part of his tour of Longueuil, the Minister visited electric vehicle manufacturer Exprolink’s facilities with his colleague Sherry Romanado, Member of Parliament for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, and Julie Ethier, Executive Director of DEL – Développement économique de l’agglomération de Longueuil. He spoke to the company’s owners about the important support in Budget 2022 for small and medium-sized businesses in Quebec, particularly clean technology companies.
“I love visiting vibrant companies like Exprolink! It’s always inspiring to see local expertise, and our budget includes measures to encourage innovation in clean technologies for companies just like this one,” Minister Rodriguez explained. “We continue to fight climate change, create good jobs, and drive our economy forward.”
“Longueuil and its surrounding area are full of thriving businesses. It is important to support employers so they can offer local people good jobs and continue to grow their businesses,” Sherry Romanado, Member of Parliament for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, said. “That is what our budget does through measures to cut taxes for small businesses and help them go green. We are investing in people.”
“Our team in the field is seeing it: companies are using the recovery momentum to carry out their investment plans. The future belongs to small and medium-sized companies like Exprolink that prioritize innovation and eco-responsibility. It is encouraging to see that the financial assistance announced in the most recent federal budget is consistent with that view. In the end, the additional resources will translate into a Canadian economy that is greener and more innovative,” DEL’s executive director said.
“Strengthened by the switch to electric we began a few years ago, we are establishing Exprolink as a world leader in the vocational electric vehicle niche. We are pleased to see the Government of Canada supporting the electric sector’s development and to have had a chance to discuss our vision of the future with Quebec lieutenant Pablo Rodriguez and Member of Parliament Sherry Romanado during their visit to our Longueuil facility,” Exprolink co-owner Louis-Martin Durand said.
Budget 2022 invests in economic growth and innovation—the key to Canada’s long-term prosperity. This includes launching a new world-leading Canada Growth Fund that will attract tens of billions of dollars in private investment in Canadian industries and Canadian jobs, and a new innovation and investment agency that will help drive productivity and growth across our economy. The budget also proposes to implement Canada’s first Critical Minerals Strategy—one that will create thousands of good jobs and capitalize on a growing need for the minerals used in everything from phones to electric cars. Measures also include steps to build more resilient supply chains, and to cut taxes for Canada’s growing small businesses.
“Budget 2022 is about growing our economy, creating good jobs, and building a Canada where nobody gets left behind. Our plan is responsible and considered, and it is going to mean more homes and good-paying jobs for Canadians; cleaner air and cleaner water for our children; and a stronger and more resilient economy for years to come.”
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance