Posted Aug 15, 2008, 11:07 AM
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It's Hammer Time
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,931
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PM's visit to General 'good news' for Hamilton
August 15, 2008
Wade Hemsworth; Fred Eisenberger
The Hamilton Spectator
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is planning to visit Hamilton Tuesday to make a funding announcement.
The Spectator has learned the PM is to make the announcement with Industry Minister Jim Prentice and local MPs at Hamilton General Hospital.
The prime minister's communications staff confirmed Harper would be visiting Hamilton Tuesday, but would not give details of what he will be doing, citing its practice of announcing his schedule only 24 hours in advance.
Several other sources confirmed they are making preparations for the hospital visit at 11 a.m.
Harper is expected to make a swing through southern Ontario early next week, with a stop in Mississauga Monday, before visiting Hamilton, Kitchener and London.
"We're aware that he's coming, and we're delighted that he is," said Mayor Fred Eisenberger. "An announcement in Hamilton should portend some good news for something in Hamilton, as well as potentially nationally."
Details of the funding announcement are not yet available, though the site of the announcement suggests it may be related to Hamilton Health Sciences, which has several major projects under way. They include two construction projects at the General itself: the 100,000 square foot Regional Rehabilitation Centre, and the David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute. That's a $90-million project that is to be home to the Population Health Research Institute and the Fraser Mustard Thrombosis Research Institute.
The mayor said he has not been briefed at all on the substance of the announcement, nor on the amount it might involve.
"That's not untypical for this government," he said. "They keep their cards very close to the vest, and if there's an announcement, they want to be sure they're announcing it and not someone else. I don't blame them for their approach and I appreciate the fact they're coming."
Meanwhile, the mayor himself has a scheduling conflict to resolve before the announcement.
He has already committed himself to attend a service commemorating the 66th anniversary of the raid on Dieppe during the Second World War -- a service that starts at 10:30 Tuesday morning at Dieppe Veterans' Memorial Park on Beach Boulevard.
The service commemorates the participation of 582 soldiers of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry in the raid, of whom 197 were killed and 174 taken prisoner. Of the 211 who returned to England, 109 were wounded.
Eisenberger has asked Harper's team to adjust the time of his visit to the hospital so he can greet the prime minister at the announcement after the service.
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