Niagara To Benefit Fom 2015 Budget – Government Is Building Ontario Up, Growing The Economy and Creating Jobs

News from the Office of St. Catharines Liberal MPP and Ontario Cabinet Minister Jim Bradley

St. Catharines, April 23^rd, 2015 – Ontario’s 2015 Budget – Building Ontario Up – will make important investments in education and retirement security in the Niagara Region, St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley announced this April 23rd.

St. Catharines Liberal MPP and Ontario cabinet minister Jim Bradley.

“We are laying out a robust plan for a stronger Ontario and a stronger Niagara by making strategic investments to create jobs, grow our economy and provide Ontarians with a more secure retirement,” Bradley said.

Brock to Receive $10 million

Bradley is particularly excited to announce that the government is investing $10 million over two years to expand Brock University’s Goodman School of Business through renovation and additions. The project will leverage private sector investment and provide more students with innovative learning options. It will also provide students with greater flexibility to gain the skills and knowledge required for success after graduation.

 “Brock is very pleased to be mentioned as an example of pending capital investment in Ontario’s colleges and universities,” said Dr. Jack Lightstone, President of Brock University. “

A year ago Brock, like other institutions, signed a strategic mandate agreement (“SMA”) with the Ontario Government in which the government affirmed Brock’s mission, special strengths, and areas of growth and expansion.

The Goodman School of Business (“GSB”) was explicitly mentioned in our SMA as one such area at Brock,” Lightstone said. “It is gratifying to see the government move so quickly to signal its willingness to invest in the GSB, to expand and modernize its facilities, and to compliment the transformative gift of Ned Goodman and the Goodman family, the namesake of our business school.”

Income security, high school education, also priorities

As part of its continuing progress to enhance retirement income security for all Ontarians, the government has introduced a slate of measures that would further the implementation of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. “Senior citizens are a vital and growing part of the community in St. Catharines and across the Niagara region,” said Bradley. “After a lifetime of hard work, they deserve a secure retirement.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Bradley noted the government’s commitment to modernizing education infrastructure across Ontario. “Investments in schools help provide safe and healthy learning environments so students can focus on their education and development,” said Bradley. Over 10 years the province plans to provide more than $11 billion in capital grants to school boards. This funding will help build new schools in areas where they’re needed most, including a new secondary school in Fort Erie.

 “I want to build a stronger province, improve our quality of life and provide a better future for Niagara residents,” Bradley said. “The choices we are making today are fair, responsible and ensure that all of us play a role in building a stronger, brighter, more confident future for our region.”

To learn more about the 2015 Ontario budget, visit www.ontario.ca/budget

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