Nearly 2,000 politicians from across Canada will converge on the Vancouver Convention Centre later this week for the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference.
On the agenda this year will be discussions on how communities can access new federal infrastructure investments – Ottawa pledged $53 billion over the next five years to build schools, roads and bridges – and how cities can influence the organization of federal programs to suit their needs.
An FCM report titled The State of Cities and Communities, detailing the various challenges faced by Canadian municipalities, will be also be released at the conference.
Scheduled speakers include:
- James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and MP for Port Moody-Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, B.C. (May 31);
- Dennis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and MP for Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec (June 1);
- Thomas Mulcair, leader of the NDP and MP for Outremont, Quebec (June 1);
- Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and MP for Papineau, Quebec (June 2);
- Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and MP for Abbottsford, B.C. (June 3); and
- Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and MP Saanich-Gulf Islands, B.C. (June 3).
For more information on the conference, click here. http://www.fcm.ca/home/events/2013-annual-conference-and-trade-show.htm
