"A hundred municipal leaders from every part of this country gathered in Laval this week with one goal: to work together to build more livable and competitive communities from coast to coast to coast. To that end, this week's board meetings focused on turning major nation-building opportunities-from housing to infrastructure-into real outcomes for Canadians.
"Last week's federal budget delivered progress for municipalities. It opened new doors to tackling the opioid crisis that's tearing through our cities and communities. It took steps toward securing the financial tools municipalities need to implement cannabis legalization. And this progress underscores the strength of our federal-municipal partnership.
"We saw that partnership at work again this week as Minister of International Development and La Francophonie Marie-Claude Bibeau joined FCM's board to discuss shared objectives toward women's empowerment. Board members welcomed this opportunity to explore how FCM programs and members are promoting the rights of women and girls-in Canada, and globally in support of Canada's international assistance policy.
"Municipal leaders are outcomes people. From coast to coast to coast, municipalities of all sizes form the order of government closest to people's daily lives. From the National Housing Strategy to the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, we've worked with Ottawa to shape truly historic nation-building opportunities. And we're determined to keep working together to ensure these opportunities generate growth and a higher quality of life for Canadians.ʺ
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is the national voice of municipal governments, with nearly 2,000 members representing more than 90 per cent of the Canadian population.