By Bob Nault
Week of September 17
KENORA – With the fall season fast approaching, my summertime in the riding sadly comes to a close as I return to Ottawa for the next session of Parliament. As I have said time and time again, spending the summer months travelling to the municipalities and First Nations of the Kenora riding is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my job. It is through this travel that I meet with people, community leaders, as well as Mayors and councils to learn more about the issues that matter most to Northerners. These are the opinions that I advocate for during my time in Ottawa.
This summer in the riding, I was happy to spend Canada Day in both Sioux Lookout and Ignace to take in the celebrations and speak with residents. This year’s 36th annual Blueberry Festival, also in Sioux Lookout, was a total success, and it was an honour to cut the cake with Blueberry Bert. During these stops in various municipalities, I paid visits to a number of local businesses including “All That Is” in Dryden, “Homegrown Kombucha” in Ignace, and “Freshwater Cuisine” in Kenora. Our local economy is burgeoning and it is such a pleasure to see these businesses growing and diversifying.
There were also a number of investments made in our riding over the summer. Ear Falls received $177,000, providing the opportunity to hire a Community Development Officer (CDO) for a three-year period. Red Lake’s Francophone community celebrated an infusion of nearly $50,000 to help attract more French-speaking families and newcomers to Red Lake, and the Government of Canada announced more than $480,000 in funding to Grand Council Treaty #3 and the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation to protect and enhance water quality in the Kenora riding. These are just some of the investments I was pleased to announce on behalf of our government.
Celebrating special events like Canada Day, making announcements in municipalities and First Nations, and hosting passport and constituency clinics has made this summer one to remember and one that illustrates that how important it is to be in the riding as much as possible listening to constituents.
This week, the House of Commons will resume and continue debating on matters that are important to all Canadians. There will also be issues that arise internationally, and as Chair of Canada’s Foreign Affairs Committee, I will keep you informed. Although, international events often occur far from where we live, they can impact us domestically and even within our own riding.
While I look forward to this work in Ottawa, I will truly miss meeting with Northerners at events throughout our beautiful riding. I encourage you to reach out to me at any time, whether I am in Ottawa or the riding. Representing the North is my primary objective, so I very much appreciate hearing from constituents. You can reach me via email at bob.nault@parl.gc.ca or toll free at (866) 710-0008.
I hope to hear from you very soon.
Bob Nault MP
