The largest accomplishments in this first year as your Member of Parliament have to be the interventions, facilitations, problems solved and communications undertaken by our capable constituency staff team on behalf of, literally thousands of Simcoe North residents. Of course confidentiality prevents the detailing of these achievements but there are however some accomplishments we can talk about. Here is a brief listing of some of the things our new government accomplished for Simcoe North this past year.

February 2006 - North Simcoe Community Development Corporation
- $930,000 – five year funding agreement for economic and community development

February 2006 - $40,000 to assist networks of Community Futures Development Corporations in the region

April 18, 2006: Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF):
Tiny Township - $80,667 West Truss Bridge - renovation
City of Orillia - $814,250 Coldwater Road expansion

May 2006 and ongoing - Lake Simcoe - New Invasive species regulations – to prohibit large vessels from discharging ballast water in the Great Lakes – thereby preventing further infiltration of invasive species to boundary lakes like Lake Simcoe

May 8, 2006: Mariposa Folk Festival - $28,000 Heritage Canada

Summer 2006: Midland – Native Friendship Centre - assisted in moving to a stable operating environment – and meeting with national leaders of Native Friendship Centres – Canada.

La Cle d’la Baie (Penetanguishene):
August 15, 2006 $17,000 - Présentation des Arts Canada
Operating DCLO—$112,283
January 2007—Human Resources and Social Development—Youth at Risk Project—$420,000 (Simcoe County)
March 2007—Strategic Plan —$29,000

Beausoleil First Nation – September, 2006—arranged meeting with Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Jim Prentice.

September 2006 - Georgian Bay Water Levels $500,000 - One-year funding to continue study and measures regarding declining water levels in the upper Great Lakes – namely Georgian Bay. Funding matched the United States – and managed by the International Joint Commission for the Great Lakes

October 12, 2006 - Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program – grants for affordable housing - Places for People (Orillia) - $72,000

October 26, 2006: Trent-Severn Waterway, Motion M-161 – to review the future of the Trent-Severn Waterway – adopted unanimously by the House of Commons.

November 9, 2006—Monument Restoration—Midland Cenotaph—Veterans Affairs via the Canada Remembers program $15,185.

December 5, 2006 - Ontario Marine Operators – Award - Awarded the Gord Blake Visionary Award—for work on the Trent-Severn Waterway, the first time this award presented to a sitting public official.

December 15,2006 - New Horizons For Seniors Program:
Hillcrest Lodge—Orillia; $23,950
North Simcoe Community Information and Volunteer Exchange - $25,000
Club de l’age d’or de Lafontaine - $24,600

Huronia Museum—Midland:
January 23 2007: $5,000 for CAHSP Business Plan Development
March 9, 2007: $24,900—Cultural Spaces Initiative

February 26, 2007—Meeting with Minister for Fednor, Tony Clement and Mayor of Orillia and Council representatives re: MURF.

February 26, 2007—Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre—meeting with senior Environment Canada staff regarding changes to operating parameters.

Ongoing: French Language Instruction: As promised, I am continuing to learn the French language—speaking, understanding spoken French and writing.

Committees:
Member – Standing Committee on the Status of Women
Member – Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

Budget 2006 and subsequent Budget Bills:
Maintain gas tax rebates and full rebate of GST – $11.2 million over five years to 2010 for the 8 municipalities in Simcoe North.
$100 per child five and under, per month – Child Care Benefit
6% GST
Reduced taxes for seniors and pensioners; child fitness tax credit; transit expenses deductible; tools tax credit; apprenticeship grants and incentives, pension splitting in 2007.

Members Statements * (Member’s Statements are presented in the House of Commons each sitting day—for 15 minutes prior to Question Period. Each Statement can be no longer than one minute.)
May 3, 2006: Canadian Executive Service Organization –
Myron Humeniuk – of Tiny Township
May 8, 2006—Aeronautics Act
June 9, 2006—Stephen Leacock Awards
May 29, 2006—Meeting Ontario Travel Representatives
June 16, 2006—Tourism Week in Canada
September 22, 2006—Private McTeague
October 23, 2006—Environmental Record
November 21, 2006—Tourism Day on Parliament Hill
February 2, 2007—Limit Senate Tenure—Bill S4
February 20, 2007Supply Management—Milk Protein Concentrates—
*Note you can see some of these Statements live on my website—www.brucestanton.ca

Attendance
House of Commons: 98 Sitting Days; Missed – 4 (for Riding Events)
National Caucus: Meetings – 27: Missed: 0
Ontario Caucus: Meetings – 27: Missed: 2

Total Funding Announcements (Simcoe North): $3,161,835

Ensuring success on the myriad of the federal issues affecting Simcoe North is often a very challenging but rewarding task. It is a challenge and responsibility that I continue to embrace wholeheartedly.

I am humbled and honoured by the confidence you have placed in me and I pledge to continue to represent your best interests, the best interests of your family and Simcoe North in Ottawa.