Issue News

This growth is the fruit of planning that started years ago and includes the downtown conference centre as the centrepiece of an ambitious expansion of the city's infrastructure.

The Minister thanks municipalities for working with the government over the past few years to create jobs and fight the global recession.

The Minister thanks municipalities for working with the government over the past few years to create jobs and fight the global recession.

Today, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) hosted the first-ever meeting of the Municipal Infrastructure Forum, a national group of municipal, business, and industry leaders formed to support the Government of Canada's development of a new long-term infrastructure plan.

Whatever Mr. Mintz thinks, it's clear Canadians want all orders of government to continue working together to put our aging roads, bridges, water systems and public transit on solid ground.

Today municipal leaders are applauding the Government of Canada for launching a new infrastructure planning process that promises to stop the decline in Canada's aging municipal infrastructure and build the roads, bridges, water and transit systems the country needs to support families, businesses and economic growth.

The following statement was released today by FCM president Berry Vrbanovic following Liberal Leader Bob Rae's speech during FCM's Advocacy Days Board of Directors luncheon in Ottawa:

FCM voices concern over P3 funding rules

In St. Anthony, they call the flow from their 23 outfalls "bubbles." That's really just a friendly Newfoundland way of saying raw sewage. The town of 2,700, at the very northern tip of Newfoundland, really wants to stop pumping sewage into its bustling harbour. Unfortunately, it can't afford the $15 million it will cost to do the job... Vrbanovic agrees that the smaller members of the FCM are in a particularly tough spot.

Today's Statistics Canada report showing increased transit ridership across the country underscores the importance of long-term investment in public transit, says the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). 

The following statement was released today by Berry Vrbanovic, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), on Bill C-615, an Act to establish a National Public Transit Strategy, introduced today by New Democrat Critic for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Olivia Chow.

Imagine you've just immigrated to Canada, ready to work hard to support your family and contribute to your new country. Canadian businesses need your skills and experience to continue growing.

The Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities met with Infrastructure Canada officials to discuss the idea of a national public transit strategy. Witnesses highlighted financial investments in public transit infrastructure made by the federal government in recent years, amounting to $5 billion since 2006 (leveraging an additional $7 billion from partners, mainly provinces and municipalities).

In an exclusive Global News poll, conducted by Ipsos Reid, thousands of Canadians were asked to share their thoughts on a myriad of subjects. Their feedback is revealed in Canada's Pulse, an in depth analysis into what Canadians are thinking.

The City of New Westminster will be saving a sizable chunk of change on its ambitious Westminster Pier Park project following the city's approval for a low-cost loan from the federal government.

But this economic uncertainty isn't stopping other levels of government from asking Ottawa for more money. The Mayor of Montreal says the feds must find cash to deal with crumbling infrastructure.

While Environment Canada tries to stem the flow of raw sewage into our nation's waters, municipalities are left worrying over the looming bill.

The following statement was released today by Berry Vrbanovic, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) on recent events in Montreal highlighting the state of Canada´s infrastructure:

The Economic Action Plan showed how much can be achieved when governments work together.

The Red Lake airport terminal building is the first thing you enter after flying into the municipality, serving both as an introduction and farewell to the community.

Cities scarcely register as a blip on the political radar in this federal election, even though urban areas are home to about 80 per cent of Canadians and face profound problems, including gridlock, homelessness and a staggering infrastructure deficit.

(Available in original language only) Avec un déficit pour les infrastructures municipales qui pèse de plus en plus lourd, la Fédération canadienne des municipalités (FCM) déplore qu'après le tiers de la campagne, aucun parti politique n'a encore présenté de plan concret pour s'attaquer aux enjeux croissants des villes.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is calling on the federal party leaders to reveal what they will do to help cities and communities if elected.

The eight municipalities in this region stand to lose about $60 million a year in federal funding, so each political party should explain how it will extend and expand financial support for cities, Coun. Berry Vrbanovic says.

Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion and the rest of council want residents to know what the city needs before voters go to the polls May 2.

Canada's federal political parties need to explain what they will do to help cities and municipalities if elected, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities says.

Forty per cent of federal dollars pumped into Canada's crumbling cities and towns will soon expire and no party has offered a plan to replace them.

(Available in original language only) La Fédération canadienne des municipalités a dressé mercredi sa liste de demandes aux principaux partis politiques en vue du scrutin fédéral.

Federal parties must commit $1.9-billion to Canadian cities each year, according to an election platform released by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

(Available in original language only) La Fédération canadienne des municipalités plonge dans la campagne électorale et demande aux chefs des partis politiques fédéraux de prendre position sur ses priorités qui ont été dévoilées en conférence de presse à Ottawa.

(Available in original language only) La Fédération canadienne des municipalités a plongé dans la campagne électorale, mercredi, et demandé aux chefs des partis de prendre position sur ses priorités, dévoilées en conférence de presse à Ottawa.

The following statement was released today by the President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Hans Cunningham, to outline the priorities of Canada's municipalities for this year's federal budget.

If history is any measure of what's to come, Canada's municipal leaders have good reason to worry about a possible new round of downloading by federal and provincial governments.

Canada's cities and towns are pleading for federal assurance that infrastructure money offered as part of a plan to stimulate the flagging economy will not be cut off to those projects that are not completed by the March deadline.

Chatham-Kent's mayor believes a recent meeting involving municipalities from coast to coast was a productive one.

Ottawa has made it clear to Canadian municipalities that economic stimulus programs are coming to an end, but that doesn't mean Canadians will see an end to municipalities fighting for federal dollars.

Canada's municipalities won praise, and even gratitude, from Prime Minister Stephen Harper last week for being "wonderful" partners with Ottawa in stimulating the country's recession-sapped economy.

Infrastructure and Communities Minister John Baird has privately committed to talks with municipalities about new partnerships to follow the successful economic stimulus program, say mayors who met with him Friday.

(Available in original language only) Le premier ministre Stephen Harper prévient les municipalités que son gouvernement ne prolongera pas le plan de relance économique au-delà de sa date d'échéance, au printemps prochain.

(Available in original language only) Les plans de relance de l'économie ne sont pas éternels et les municipalités ne doivent pas s'attendre à profiter de cette injection d'adrénaline fiscale pour toujours, a lancé vendredi à Toronto le premier ministre Stephen Harper aux principaux leaders municipaux du pays.

It was almost eight years ago to the day that then finance minister Paul Martin delivered a speech to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' annual general meeting in Hamilton, Ontario.

As a prelude to FCM's annual conference and expo this week, the Big City Mayor's Caucus (BCMC) held a press conference yesterday to talk about how Canadian governments can tackle the infrastructure deficit.

The Canadian constitution should be reopened to give cities more power, in line with the critical economic role they play, Mayor Hazel McCallion said yesterday at the conclusion of a big city mayors' summit meeting in Toronto.

It shouldn't take a global economic meltdown for municipalities to get the fiscal help they desperately need, big city mayors said Thursday as they called on all levels of government to enter into a new funding partnership.

Stimulus spending has a firm expiration date and cities can't expect to live on that fiscal shot of adrenaline forever, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told the country's municipal leaders Friday.

It shouldn't take a global economic meltdown for municipalities to get the fiscal help they desperately need, big city mayors said Thursday as they called on all levels of government to enter into a new funding partnership.

Big city mayors are getting tired of sitting at the kiddie table of Canadian politics.

The mayors of Canada's largest cities met at a downtown Toronto hotel on Thursday to discuss ways to engage the federal government into new partnerships that would help bring economic stability to cities.

More than 1,500 municipal leaders from across Canada are gathering in Toronto at the end of this week to, in their words, "build on recent gains" won by cities.