Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members. I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to speak with your committee this afternoon as a representative of Clarington's business community.
Clarington is the proud home of the Darlington nuclear power station, which provides 30% of Ontario's electricity. Along with our dynamic agribusiness, including vegetable and fruit farms, cereal crops, and livestock, and a vibrant small manufacturing and service industry, Clarington is proud to be contributing to and exploring new opportunities for growing Canada's economy.
It is encouraging to see our governments take action in these challenging economic times with programs to keep our communities working and creating jobs through business support and infrastructure investment. Clarington is very grateful for the support we have received, totalling approximately $13 million since 2008. In addition, the municipality of Clarington has been very fortunate to have had significant infrastructure investment announcements, including the Highway 407 extension and the proposed Darlington new nuclear build. It is essential that action be taken on these announcements.
We strongly encourage the federal government to ensure that decisions with AECL be brought to the forefront in planning, while acknowledging and respecting that all levels of government need to demonstrate their due diligence and ensure they are making the right decisions for all the people of Canada. A new nuclear build in Ontario is a positive thing for all of Canada and will help support the lucrative nuclear industry across the country and confirm our place in a global nuclear market.
OPG has continued its work on the environmental assessment and licensing processes in support of the project, which has included extensive consultation and involvement in our community. We are ready for the government to take the next step.
All levels of government within our community—municipal, regional, provincial, and federal—plus community leaders and residents, support the Darlington new nuclear project. Not only is the project needed as an economic driver, but further delays in the decision may potentially result in increased costs for the overall project, which is not good for anyone, government or taxpayers. It is estimated that for every one nuclear job created, there will be six spinoff jobs created for Canadians. I don't have to tell you that this is hard to match.
The municipality of Clarington is on the eastern border of the GTA, and the extension of Highway 407 to the Highway 35/115 is essential to ensure the effective and timely movement of goods and people. A recent announcement by the Ontario government indicates that the extension of Highway 407 will stop at Simcoe Street in Oshawa. This makes absolutely no sense to us as a regional community, and we respectfully request that the federal government require that the Province of Ontario honour its previous agreements and build the extension of the 407 to the Highway 35/115 and ensure that economic growth is supported by all levels of government.
With all this excitement, we are also seeing an increase in investment interest in Clarington. As in many communities across Canada, the lack of serviced land adds complication in the development process. Our governments have been very active in supporting road infrastructure, community, and shovel-ready project support, which has been a great asset to communities in creating immediate short-term employment opportunities for communities that are ready to go.
In order to have sustainable and self-reliant economies across Canada, we need to explore funding opportunities to build communities that are ready for international and intranational investments, which will create long-term employment, build healthy community tax bases, and allow us to care for our own maintenance programs.
As our federal government prepares for Budget 2011, it is essential that a long-term, self-sustaining approach be considered. The Clarington Board of Trade recommends that action be taken to ensure that the Darlington new nuclear project move forward with no more delays, that the Highway 407 extension be completed to Highway 35/115—as all previous discussions indicated—and that programs be developed to support the servicing of employment lands in our communities.
I thank you for your consideration.