Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown is in Ottawa this week to talk about key issues in the city and province.
And, he’s hoping the federal government will help fund some of the priorities on his list.
Brown will spend the next three days talking about affordable and accessible housing, infrastructure, returning to one EI zone for the province and funding for the Birthplace of Confederation initiative.
He will meet with all four P.E.I. senators, two of the province’s MPs as well as federal ministers and key representatives in government.
On infrastructure alone, Brown is hoping to uncork more than $100 million in funding from the feds to address flood mitigation, replacing the aging Simmons Sport Centre and Cody Banks Arena with a twin-pad facility and help with building a multi-use sports and entertainment complex. City council has already approved a move to apply for federal funding on the latter.
On the EI issue, Brown wants to push an issue he campaigned on in 2018.
“I said during the election — we’re one Island, one community, one zone,’’ Brown said Friday. “And, we’re looking for a fair and equitable EI (system) for the whole Island.’’
P.E.I. has been split into two zones since 2014. The switch, depending on where one lives, means an applicant might have to work more hour to qualify for EI benefits. Charlottetown and Cornwall fall under the Charlottetown EI zone, which means workers need 665 insured work hours. Portions of Stratford fall into Zone 1 and Zone 2. Those that fall under the P.E.I. zone need to work 490 insured hours.
Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown will meet the following politicians and representatives during his trip to Quebec this week:
- Communities and Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna
- Families, Children and Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen
- Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault
- Veteran’s Affairs Minister and Associate Minister of National Defence Lawrence MacAulay
- P.E.I. senators Diane Griffin, Percy Downe, Mike Duffy and Brian Francis
- Charlottetown MP Sean Casey
- Malpeque MP Wayne Easter, chairman of the federal finance committee
- Jill Pilgrim, Atlantic adviser to the minister of Employment, Workforce and Disability Inclusion
- Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson
- Brock Carlton, CEO of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Brown plans to address the issue when he meets with Jill Pilgrim, Atlantic adviser to the minister of Employment, Workforce and Disability Inclusion.
The mayor said the current system pits rural P.E.I. against urban P.E.I.
“We want to take down that wall.’’
On the issue of affordable and accessible housing, Brown said he and council are very concerned, adding that even though the issue falls largely under provincial and federal jurisdiction the city needs to get its message across.
“We have to shout from the rooftops to say ‘look, we need more affordable and public housing ... and student housing'. And, we need to address the short-term rental issue. We’re working on all fronts.’’
Brown said affordable and accessible housing is also a crisis issue in Ottawa so he will also meet with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson to talk strategy.
As for the birthplace initiative, the federal government already recognizes Charlottetown as the birthplace of Canada, based on the Charlottetown Conference in 1864.
Brown is hoping Ottawa will provide some “sustainable funding’’, which will allow the P.E.I. capital to promote itself as the birthplace. To cite one example, the federal government helped fund a main street program in the 1980s that helped the city make some façade improvements to heritage buildings.
Brown is making the trip with Ronnie McPhee, the city’s community liaison officer. The mayor expects the trip will cost taxpayers about $4,000 in flights and accommodations.
The mayor added that the city’s strategic priorities and intergovernmental co-operation committee will receive a full report upon his return.
Following his visit to Ottawa, Brown will head to Quebec City to meet with deputy Mayor Michelle Morin-Doyle and participate in official Quebec Carnival celebrations. In 2014, the two cities formed a partnership for the 1864 celebrations and have worked closely on cultural events and other initiatives.
