Saskatchewan Liberal MP Buckley Belanger has busy first year

Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River Liberal MP Buckley Belanger said it’s been a very busy 12 months representing his riding and Saskatchewan as a whole in Ottawa.

This week marks one year since Belanger was elected as the Member of Parliament, who said so far he’s been busy in his role as Secretary of State for Rural Development, which has demanded a large amount of travel across the country.

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“We spend a lot of time making sure we represent Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, making sure we represent Saskatchewan well, and of course do our job in our portfolio,” he explained.

“What you need to do to be an effective MP is making sure people see you working hard, contributing and finding solutions. All that comes with the responsibility of being an MP.”

Some of the highlights of the past 12 months include investing $116 million in connectivity for high-speed internet, supporting the McIlvenna Bay Foran Copper Mine near Creighton, the $2.6 billion uranium deal between Cameco and India, and a $51 billion plan for housing and community infrastructure across the nation.

“We have other ideas. I’m certainly considering a University of Northern Saskatchewan. We’ve had a number of discussions on that front,” Buckley remarked.

“Clearly, there is a lot of work, there’s a bold agenda, and I’ll just ask people for a little bit more patience as we never forget who got us to the show.”

Belanger is encouraging northern municipalities and First Nations to research the programs the federal government is offering and to apply. He noted there has already been projects brought forward and are being lobbied on.

“The North has been neglected. We’re not going to dwell on that,” Belanger said.

“It’s a very exciting and opportune time. I would tell northerners, we’ll work hard [and] we want to encourage you to do your part because everybody has to do their part. There is no question in my mind, you’re going to see a shift in priorities when it comes to Northern Saskatchewan.”

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