Board members from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities met in Whistler, B.C., on the eve of next week’s critical federal budget. “Budget 2017 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a better Canada by building stronger cities and communities,” said FCM President Clark Somerville. “Municipal leaders are ready to help revolutionize transit, tackle climate change and fix … Read more
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Big City Mayors’ Caucus launched a task force to tackle an epidemic of fentanyl overdose deaths. The Mayors’ Task Force on the Opioid Crisis has two main objectives. First, to share frontline experiences and best practices among cities addressing the crisis. Second, to work with all orders of government to better … Read more
Canada’s big-city mayors are urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) to use his government’s next budget to launch a new era of public transit and to tackle Canada’s housing affordability crisis head-on. “This government clearly appreciates that we can’t build livable, globally-competitive cities on top of a housing crisis,” said Don Iveson, Mayor of … Read more
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities released its pre-budget submission, Seizing the Moment, for the 2017 federal budget. This next budget will unveil details of the unprecedented federal promise to invest $81 billion over 11 years in transit, social, green and other infrastructure. Those details will determine how well the federal plan generates growth, improves productivity, lowers emissions and … Read more
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is pleased to announce six First Nation – municipal community partnerships that will work to jointly develop solid waste management service agreements. Under the umbrella of FCM’s Community Infrastructure Partnership Project, municipalities will work with adjacent First Nation communities to address common challenges or issues. Funded by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada … Read more
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities released Welcoming Communities: A Toolkit for Municipal Governments, a practical guide of lessons learned by over 300 municipalities that have helped to welcome Syrian refugees. “We are seeing how municipal action helps meet national challenges,” said FCM President Clark Somerville. “As emergency federal support winds down now in ‘Month 13’, we’ll need to help … Read more
Municipal leaders say they found an emerging consensus among parliamentarians and that municipalities will need to play a central role to make the landmark federal infrastructure plan work for Canadians, “The federal government’s infrastructure plan is really a huge opportunity to strengthen Canada by strengthening our communities. But unlocking that potential depends on getting Phase … Read more
FCM President Clark Somerville issued this statement following dialogue with NDP leader Thomas Mulcair (Outremont, Que.) at FCM’s Board of Directors meeting in Ottawa: “Municipal leaders welcomed NDP Leader Tom Mulcair’s strong support for Canada’s cities and communities in his speech today to FCM’s Board of Directors in Ottawa. Mr. Mulcair’s remarks reflected the importance of investing … Read more
National Housing Day commemorates the moment in November 1998 when FCM’s Big City Mayors’ Caucus joined with frontline housing and public health advocates to declare homelessness a national disaster. Eighteen years later Canada is still facing an even more systemic crisis that threatens the foundation of the strong, inclusive communities that we all want to … Read more
FCM President Clark Somerville issued this statement following meetings and remarks by Finance Minister Bill Morneau (Toronto Centre, Ont.) at FCM’s Board of Directors meeting in Ottawa: “Today’s meetings with Minister Morneau continued the intensive dialogue that his government has sustained all year with FCM. We share the aspiration he voiced today to see Phase 2 … Read more
