Striking an agenda of action for urban Canada: Throne speech is promising. Decades of cuts and downloading have put our cities in an untenable situation Final Edition

• Published in: The Gazette (Montreal)
• Main Author: Benoit Labonte, Elyse Allan, Robert Kreis, Peter Legge, John Webb
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Montreal, Que Postmedia Network Inc 14.10.2002
• ISSN: 0384-1294

Four out of five Canadians live in urban centres. Canada's cities play a central role in driving our economic prosperity, in fostering innovation and sustaining our standard of living. In last week's Speech from the Throne, the case for an urban agenda found resonance in Ottawa. The federal government, for the first time, acknowledged the faltering state of our urban centres, and its toll on the future prosperity of our nation . Our cities need bold new actions to restore their vitality. They need a vision shared nationally for their future. They need a federal government that is aggressive in securing their prosperity. What we saw in the Throne Speech was an important beginning. There is a willingness to be a stronger federal partner in infrastructure renewal and a willingness to tackle challenges associated with our diverse populations. We now have an incredible opportunity to seize this new thinking in Ottawa to build a powerful vision and strike a dynamic agenda of action for urban Canada. It will require a co- operative approach between all levels of government and community stakeholders.