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Letter to the Editor
August 16, 2010
In recent weeks, I have received dozens of letters regarding Stanhope Airport. I have read and considered each one carefully. Given that these letters all deal with the same issues, I have decided to write a single response. I have also decided to make this response public so that all interested parties know where I stand.
As many of you know, the future and potential of Stanhope Airport has been a topic of debate for many, many years. Having grown up in Haliburton County, I have been aware of this discussion most of my life.
When Budget 2009 was tabled a year and a half ago, there was an opportunity through the Building Canada program for municipalities to receive one-third federal and one-third provincial assistance with local infrastructure priorities.
Municipalities across Canada identified their local priorities and submitted applications for assistance. In Algonquin Highlands, the priority identified was the rehabilitation and expansion of Stanhope Airport.
As your federal Member of Parliament, I believe it is my job to assist and support local councils. As such, I have been working hard, together with MPP Rick Johnson, to do what I can to assist the 11 municipal governments in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock to achieve their objectives.
During this period, I have been approached by residents and groups in many municipalities who do not agree with their local council's choice of priorities. In each case, I have said that locally elected councils speak for their municipalities, and my job is to support them, not to second-guess or overrule their decisions. This answer has not always been popular.
In general, Building Canada projects are proceeding well across Canada, Ontario, and this riding. Important infrastructure is being improved or replaced, and jobs have been created during this period of global economic uncertainty. In some cases, projects are taking longer than expected. In a few cases, there is a risk that projects will not go forward at all, and a major opportunity for local economic development may be lost.
In the case of Algonquin Highlands, the Stanhope Airport project is taking longer than expected. As a result, I suggested several months ago that work should proceed immediately on rehabilitation of existing facilities, so that the opportunity to receive 66% federal and provincial funding would not be lost entirely if plans for airport expansion were unable to proceed. (In my view, it is unfortunate that this has not happened.)
More recently, a new issue has emerged across Ontario. The fact that municipal elections will be held in October has become increasingly relevant because ongoing Building Canada projects are certain to be key issues in some municipal election campaigns.
In Algonquin Highlands, the environmental assessment process has meant that major construction on Stanhope Airport has not yet begun. Officials at the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency have said they expect to table their final decision in late August. This means that work is unlikely to begin before early September – less than two months before the municipal election.
As stated earlier, I believe that my role as MP is to support and assist local councils in achieving their priorities. As we approach the municipal elections, I retain this responsibility to current councils, but I also have a responsibility to ensure that new councils elected in October will have the same opportunity to proceed with their priorities – and to keep promises made during their election campaigns.
I respect the rights of current councils to proceed with their priorities, but I ask them to respect the rights of future councils to do the same thing. Decisions should not be made at the 11th hour that bind future councils’ ability to do their jobs.
In a broader context, this municipal election campaign will provide an excellent opportunity for a fulsome public discussion about these issues, so that whoever is elected on October 25th will arrive in office with a mandate to proceed with recently identified priorities.
I encourage every voter to participate in the municipal election campaign by supporting candidates who reflect their values and points of view. And finally, we should never forget how lucky we are to live in a great democracy like Canada.
Sincerely,
Barry Devolin, MP
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock
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