Photo courtesy Everything GP Staff

By Erika Rolling

Politics

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland visits home

Aug 26, 2022 | 5:30 PM

There was a busy itinerary for Chrystia Freeland’s day in Grande Prairie on Friday, August 26.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Minister of Finance made her way close back to her roots, born and raised on a farm near Peace River, she decided to make a stop and speak with the region’s producers and even people she grew up with during her Prairie tour.

Freeland met with Peace region producers to talk about the importance of food security globally, and the importance of agriculture in Canada.

She also met with tradespeople at Northwestern Polytechnic to discuss jobs training in our province.

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She says it was important to make her way up here, “I think the people you grew up with… they tell you the truth, so I really wanted to hear directly from people here and maybe to highlight for the rest of the country how exciting northern Alberta is.”

“If by coming here I can help introduce people in other parts of Canada to this really amazing part of the world that would be nice too.”

The Deputy Prime Minister says she has taken lots of notes from her experience coming back to the Peace region and will take with her investing in more skilled tradespeople, creating more spaces for childcare, and how important Canadian agriculture is for the entire world.

“I brag about our farmers when I go to G7 finance ministers meetings and when people talk about food security and I say you know what… Canadian farmers are a big part of the answer to that.”

She says the labour shortages in trades can be filled through newcomers to Canada, young people, women, and interprovincial recognition of certificates.

“At a time when we have labour shortages across the country… I think it’s a way that we can help everybody,” she noted on interprovincial recognition of trades certification.

Freeland spent some time with Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton today, and Freeland says Clayton will be advising her of the types of jobs that need work on qualifications being recognized across Canada.