Town Coun. Trevor Kotowich commended the work of local MP Brian Storseth at pushing to re-table the citizen's arrest bill after seeing it reported in the Journal, but asked council to confirm the status of the request for federal funding for the Wellness Centre at council meeting on Aug. 8
Minister of Infrastructure Ray Danyluk has approached MP Brian Jean to help find federal funding for the clinic, said CAO Ron Boisvert.
Jean, the MP for Fort McMurray – Athabasca, supports the proposal because he believes it would be good for the people of northern Alberta and because Danyluk has told him great things about it, an office staff member for Jean confirmed to the St. Paul Journal.
“Having two MPs that are willing to help us is a great thing," said Danyluk, in a phone interview, adding that Jean's “profile and his connections and his authority and responsibility has a lot to do with it."
In an interview with the Journal, Storseth said a letter from Private-Public Partnership fund (P3) Canada to the committee indicates the Wellness Centre does not qualify for P3 funding.
“This simply is just not federal jurisdiction. There is nowhere in Canada where a facility like this has been funded."
Storseth said he has looked “exhaustively" for federal funding and has been unable to find funding for which the Town and County's clinic would be eligible. Storseth said he's been clear with the mayor and reeve on the status of federal funding.
“We've provided over $1 billion a year more in transfer payments from the federal government to the provincial government so that the provincial government has the money to deal with some of these things."
Provinces are responsible for administering health care under the Constitution, he said, adding the role of the federal government is to provide funding through health transfers. Alberta will move to per capita funding like other provinces, but it is the province that administers the funding, he said, adding that Ottawa does not pick and choose which towns and cities receive funding.
Federal funding would not comply with the basic principles of the Canada Health Act, he added.
Danyluk said even without federal funding the project can go ahead. “I'm trying to do everything I possibly can to support the project because I think it's a good project."
Danyluk said it is unfortunate the centre does not qualify for P3 funding, but said he would not leave a stone unturned in the search for funding.
“Whichever way we can try to attain more funding, to me that's what we need to do."