I want to thank you so much for being here, Minister, and we actually have a natural segue on the issue of small community transit.
First and foremost, I think there was a lot of fear around the initial plan to invest in infrastructure, because a lot of people back home, in the small communities I represent, feared that big cities were going to be a sponge when it comes to infrastructure money. I was extraordinarily pleased to see specific money set aside for small communities in the $2-billion rural and remote community fund when you announced phase two.
One of the struggles we have is that a key part of my riding depends not on municipally owned public transit, but instead on non-profit groups that have community transit initiatives. These are funded by municipalities, but not owned by municipalities, so they don't qualify for the public transit funding.
Would projects like this potentially be eligible under the small communities fund so we can get people moving and help seniors, people living in poverty, and people living with disabilities?