In the spirit of federal, provincial and municipal cooperation, it is a great pleasure to see the proposed Melville Communiplex chosen as a worthy funding recipient under the Building Canada Fund.

The federal government is making a substantial contribution of $8.1 million toward the $24.5 million project. The Melville Communiplex will provide excellent facilities for the city and surrounding rural communities. The facility will include an ice surface, convention centre, family fitness centre, cardiac care centre, seniors’ centre and a walking track.

I am always inspired when municipal, provincial and federal interests can be integrated into building infrastructure to serve Canadians. At the federal level, I have worked closely with several key cabinet ministers to ensure the Melville Communiplex was given fair scrutiny. The Hon. Gerry Ritz, who heads the federal Saskatchewan caucus; the Hon. John Baird, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities; the Hon. Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification); and the Hon. Rob Merrifield, Minister of State (Transport) were all helpful on this file. Saskatchewan also came out on top when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced $62 million in federal funding a few months ago to accelerate the twinning of Highway 11 and move the completion date forward from 2016 to 2012.

The Melville Communiplex is destined to be a local hub where friends and families can meet to enjoy camaraderie as they pursue a healthier lifestyle. Good local recreational facilities can transform a city by offering programs and activities that enhance our lifestyle choices. With these things in mind, the constituency of Yorkton-Melville will benefit from the Building Canada Framework Agreement signed by the provincial and federal governments at the end of April.

In Saskatchewan, some $94.5 million will be dedicated to smaller-scale infrastructure projects in communities with fewer than 100,000 people. The Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund helps smaller communities address their individual infrastructure pressures and priorities. In tandem with the GST refund and the federal gas tax funding that communities already receive, the federal government is addressing local needs like never before.

In these tough economic times, our government knows that opening the door to local investment is the route to prosperity. Now is the time to invest in our communities and in our citizens – we are building the economy and state-of-the-art recreational facilities at the same time.

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The audio version of Garry's May 11, 2009 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here