Good morning, everyone.
I am very proud to be here today to discuss the federal budget with you.
My name is Jacques Demers, and I am the mayor of Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, the prefect of the Regional County Municipality, or RCM, of Memphrémagog and president of the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, or FQM.
I am accompanied by David Boulet, FQM's economic adviser. I will be sharing my speaking time with him.
I will start by briefly explaining what the federation is.
FQM, which has 1,025 member Quebec municipalities, is the municipal organization that represents the most municipalities across the province. FQM represents the regions, territories and the rural world. A great deal of economic development takes place in the RCMs.
What we want to do today is show you the impact the budget has on investment in our structures. Quebec has recently taken major steps and will be taking more over the next few months, particularly with regard to Internet access. It will also have to examine the cellular network. We will have to invest in a great deal of important infrastructure, such as roads and dams.
I will now turn the floor over to Mr. Boulet, who will provide you with more technical details.