Fougere talks national unity following meeting with prime minister, mayors

Regina Mayor Michael Fougere was able to talk infrastructure with Canada’s new prime minister as part of a meeting with all 21 big city mayors in Ottawa last week.

Speaking with the CJME Morning Show Tuesday, Fougere said the meeting lasted one hour, 20 minutes, focusing mainly on infrastructure and the funding for it.

“And really nurturing the relationship between the federal government and the cities as opposed to directly through the provinces,” Fougere continued.

Fougere said in these early days for the new government, mayors have to wait and see how the Liberals act on their promises.

Fougere also had a chance to speak with Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, who publicly rejected the TransCanada pipeline project, saying that the environmental risks far outweigh the economic benefits.

“I expressed in the strongest possible terms that his perspective is not helpful. And those kind of terms he’s used are inflammatory and really negative and not really conducive to national unity.”

Fougere called Coderre’s comments political pandering at the worst possible time.

“At the end of the day, (Coderre) said he agrees, that yes if the National Energy Board approves (the pipeline), then he would say yes to it.”