News Release

Kelly to Press Key Items at Mayors’ Conference

(HALIFAX, N.S., Thursday, April 7/05)-- Promised federal Gas Tax revenues, municipal emergency preparedness and the upcoming regional immigration conference will be the main focus of a two-day meeting of the Atlantic Mayors’ Congress in Corner Brook this weekend.

Mayor Kelly, Chair of the Congress, said today that municipal representatives attending the two-day conference, which begins tomorrow, will likely bring each other up to date on discussions with their respective provincial governments regarding a share of the federal Gas Tax promised by Prime Minister Paul Martin almost two years ago.

He said Canadian municipalities are anxious for details of the plan to be completed, so they will begin receiving much needed new revenue to address the serious infrastructure problem currently plaguing the country.

The Congress will also discuss the Atlantic Immigration Conference to be held in Halifax from May 15-17. The purpose of the conference is to enable cities throughout the region to discuss and develop more effective ways of encouraging immigrants to come to Atlantic Canada, and more importantly, to settle and remain here.

The Atlantic Mayors’ Congress meeting will also provide an opportunity to continue efforts to gather best practices from local Emergency Measures Organizations (EMO) across the country, and making them available in future to every Canadian community to better strengthen their emergency preparedness efforts.

“I look forward to welcoming Congress Members to Corner Brook and I am proud to host the Congress for the first time in the province of Newfoundland,” says Mayor Priscilla Boutcher of Corner Brook. “The Congress gives Atlantic Mayors a chance to explore possibilities of working together and forming a united front on many of our common goals.”

The Atlantic Mayors’ Congress (AMC) was formed in 2001 and is comprised of mayors from the four Atlantic Provinces. They meet twice a year.

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A media briefing is scheduled for Friday, April 8, 2005 at 4:30 p.m. at the Glynmill Inn. The media will be briefed on the deliberations of the meetings by Atlantic Congress Chairperson, Mayor Peter Kelly along with host committee chair, Mayor Priscilla Boutcher.

Mayor Priscilla Boutcher
Corner Brook
(709) 637-1537

Mayor Peter Kelly
Halifax Regional Municipality
(902) 490-4010