SACKVILLE, N.B. — Federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May made a visit to Sackville on Tuesday, using the campaign stop to highlight one of her party’s platform promises she says will help support Canadians living in rural and remote communities.
May says the Green Party proposes to develop a national transportation system, which would see bus and train services restored across the country.
“Right across Canada, we have a crisis in that people living in rural and remote communities have virtually no access to public transportation,” she said during an announcement at Beausejour Green Party candidate Laura Reinsborough’s headquarters on Main Street. “This is unacceptable.”
May said during a cross-Canada tour last spring, she heard from rural Canadians time and again that the loss of their bus service was a significant local concern. And with VIA Rail’s dramatic cuts to its train operations over the past decade, she said many people are being left with fewer options.
In a province like New Brunswick, for instance, she says more and more residents are finding it challenging to get to medical appointments or hospitals, as many health care services are being centralized.
“We want to put in place by 2040 a system of transport that is zero carbon, convenient and affordable right across the country.”
Investments would need to be made in VIA Rail infrastructure, said May, to provide a more timely, accessible and more modernized service. And new electric buses would also be a part of the plan.
“We need to have what any other modern, industrialized country has regardless of the size. We need decent public transit,” she said. “This is not too much to ask, this is the minimum we should expect.”
Another measure the Green Party is proposing to help ensure rural and remote communities are provided with the services they need is an expansion of Canada Post.
May said a Green government would diversify Canada Post’s offerings in order to make the corporation more financially sustainable while providing much-needed services to rural Canadians.
“We’re investing in Canada Post and we want to change the corporate direction.”
She said door-to-door mail delivery in small towns like Sackville would be reinstated while Canada Post offices could also offer banking services, public high-speed internet access, and EV charging stations in its parking lots.
“In other words, we can make Canada Post a hub of services right across this country.”
May said these are both “do-able” measures and within the Party’s budget although she said final numbers wouldn’t be available until tomorrow’s campaign stop in Halifax.
May’s visit also provided a campaign boost to Beausejour Green candidate Laura Reinsborough, who is hoping to be buoyed by the party’s recent success provincially – with two Green MLAs from the riding elected to the New Brunswick legislature last fall.
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