Mr. Speaker, the opposition motion gives me an opportunity to tell the House about the many initiatives and achievements of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec when it comes to infrastructure.
Since 2006, the Conservative government has made infrastructure one of its top priorities. An excellent example of this was our economic plan, advantage Canada, which included plans to develop modern infrastructure.
We kept our word and we delivered, as evidenced by the infrastructure programs and initiatives brought forward to help communities and to stimulate our economy.
The most recent initiative currently under way is producing meaningful results. I am referring to the community infrastructure improvement fund, or CIIF, which was launched as part of the most recent budget. The NDP opposed that initiative.
With an envelope of $31.2 million for Quebec, the CIIF, in place until March 2014, is meant to fund projects for rehabilitating, improving and expanding existing community infrastructure. Improving communities' quality of life is a priority for our government, and residents in communities across Canada are already enjoying the benefits of the CIIF.
The first call for proposals ended in the fall of 2012, and 542 projects were submitted from across Quebec, 542 projects that would not have happened if it were up to the NDP. The success of the first phase of the CIIF across the country confirmed the program's merits.
Priority was given to existing infrastructure, which is often administered by non-profits or municipalities. This includes marinas, sports fields, playground and park buildings and community centres.
In fact, I was in Drummondville just last week to announce our government's contribution to Le Centre communautaire Pierre-Lemaire for its project to upgrade its facilities.
This centre is an important part of community life in Drummondville. It offers a wide range of services and activities. Our government's contribution will help renovate and refurbish reception rooms and some common rooms. The CIIF improves quality of life in communities through partnership projects while contributing to growth, prosperity and job creation.
Just recently, my colleague, the Hon. Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec was in Quebec City to announce funding for Patro Roc-Amadour. The Patro is an important recreation centre that serves thousands of children, teens, adults and seniors from all backgrounds every year. Such organizations are the heart of community life for our constituents.
By opposing the creation of the program, the NDP opposes our government's support for these organizations. If we go back a few years, other major infrastructure projects have been started since 2006, including the building Canada fund—Quebec in partnership with the Government of Quebec, municipal governments or, in some cases, non-profits or the private sector.
This fund is part of the building Canada fund, which has a national budget of $8.8 billion and was created under the building Canada plan to fund projects from 2007 to 2014. The fund addresses national, regional and local priorities.
Canada Economic Development implements two components of the building Canada fund—Quebec: the communities component and the large urban centres component. The latter finances projects in communities of 100,000 or more. Our government's contribution to 18 major projects in Quebec totals $157 million, with total investments of almost half a billion dollars.
These projects include construction of the future Complexe sportif de Saint-Laurent, the Centre multiservice de Shipshaw in Saguenay and the Centres de foires in Sherbrooke and Quebec City, to name only a few.
The communities component of the building Canada fund-Quebec, in which we originally invested nearly $200 million, has made it possible to carry out 125 projects. Those projects have generated total investments of nearly $565 million. The NDP opposed every one of those projects.
In 2009, our government adopted Canada's economic action plan to counter the impact of the global economic slowdown on Canadians. For infrastructure alone, the plan provided $11.8 billion for projects to be implemented across the country, but that was $11 billion too much in the NDP's view.
Consequently, the communities component of the building Canada fund-Quebec was enhanced. With supplementary assistance of $105 million, we contributed to the implementation of an additional 104 projects. We are talking about modernizing public infrastructure in communities of fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, projects ranging from the modernization of water supply systems and water treatment stations to cultural and sports centres. Among many examples, I am thinking here of the construction of the Pat Burns Arena in Stanstead, replacing the old, obsolete arena. Opened in 2001, the new arena benefits Stanstead residents and Stanstead College students as well as the populations of surrounding municipalities.
Our government has invested a total of more than $461 million in the implementation of 247 infrastructure projects out of the building Canada fund-Quebec. Those 247 projects have received total investments of more than $1.4 billion. The NDP did not want those 247 projects to see the light of day.
We also established the recreational infrastructure Canada program in 2009 under the economic action plan. As part of that program, the purpose of which was to increase construction activities for recreational infrastructure and to create jobs, the Government of Canada invested more than $68 million in Quebec alone.
As a result, 208 recreational infrastructure projects received federal assistance. The NDP did not want those 208 projects to see the light of day. Here we are talking about projects to renovate and improve recreational facilities such as arenas, gymnasiums, pools, sports fields, parks and fitness trails.
Whether it be renovations to the Centre civique de Matagami pool, the development of a bicycle path in Lévis or the installation of a synthetic surface on the soccer field of Collège Montmorency in Laval, these are, once again, exciting structural projects that are good for the economic health of communities and the physical health of our constituents.
In addition to all these infrastructure projects, there is the municipal rural infrastructure fund, the MRIF, to which our government has contributed since 2006, investing more than $213 million, making it possible to carry out 227 projects.
Whether it be the construction of a youth centre in Cap-Chat or the restoration and redevelopment of the Masson-Angers train station here in the region, the MRIF also helps enhance quality of life in the communities and supports economic growth by improving community infrastructure.
Our infrastructure record since 2006 speaks for itself. Across Quebec, our government alone has contributed to the implementation of 682 projects through the programs and initiatives I have just mentioned. Our financial involvement in those projects amounts to nearly $743 million, and total investments generated have reached approximately $2.5 billion. We will continue to promote infrastructure projects for the benefit of our constituents and our communities, and for the good of our economy, despite the NDP opposition's eternal objections.