Province Législature/Legislature Session Type de discours/Type of speech Date du discours/Date Locuteur/Speaker Fonction du locuteur/Function Parti politique/Political party Ile du Prince Edward Island – Prince Edward Island 50 3 Discours du Trône/Speech from the Throne 18-02-1965 Hon. Willibald J. MacDonald Lieutenant-governor Progressive Conservative P.E.I: Speech from the Throne, Third Session of the Fiftieth General Assembly, February 18th, 1965 In the name of Her Majesty the Queen it is my privilege and pleasure to greet and welcome you to the Third Session of the Fiftieth General Assembly of the Province of Prince Edward Island. Since the close of the last session, the people of this Province were honoured by a visit in October of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip. The Royal visit was the highlight of our 1964 Centennial celebrations when Her Majesty officially opened the Fathers of Confederation Memorial Centre. The gracious charm and gentle dignity of Her Majesty captivated the hearts of all Islanders and reaffirmed our loyalty to the Crown and Commonwealth. In common with Her Majesty's loyal subjects everywhere, the people of Prince Edward Island extend congratulations and good wishes upon the birth of a new Royal Prince. We are pleased that Her Majesty has named her new son, Prince Edward. Since we last met, this Legislature has lost a revered Member and the Province a distinguished representative in the person of our late Speaker, the Honourable John R. McLean. The late Mr. Speaker McLean was a senior member of this House with a long and notable record of service and his untimely death in October removed from our midst a humble servant and keen Parliamentarian. We mourn also the passing of five other former Members of this House in the persons of Russell C. Clark, William Hughes, D. A. MacRae, Lucas R. Allen and J. A. MacDonald. These men discharged their duties with honour and insight and their service to this House and to their Province will inspire all of us who follow in their footsteps. The year 1964 was marked by many events of great national significance associated with the one hundredth anniversary of the meeting in Charlottetown in 1864 of the Fathers of Confederation. We extend thanks to all our people who conducted the many observances honouring this important event. In addition to thousands of tourists, many prominent Canadians, including the Prime Minister and the Premiers of all provinces, visited the Island and participated in a number of historic ceremonies. Again we have been blest with bountiful crops. Yields of grain and forage crops and returns from livestock production are above the records of the previous year. Market prices have been maintained at a favourable level. The cultivation of small fruits and vegetables will be encouraged and special efforts will be made to assist interested groups in the production of blueberries and cranberries. My Government continues to encourage greater milk and beef production. Assistance towards the importation of improved breeding stock will continue. Both the quality and quantity of marketed hogs have increased over that of previous years. My Government will direct special attention towards improved swine production in the Province. Legislation enabling farmers to enlarge their farm operations will be introduced for your consideration My Government continues to enlarge the educational opportunities for the youth of our province. The Provincial Vocational Institute in Charlottetown was opened in December and a new Regional High School, with an enrolment of over five hundred students, has been constructed adjacent to it. Representations have been made to the Government of Canada for increased assistance in Vocational Training for all areas of the Province. The Report of the Royal Commission on Higher Education will be tabled for your consideration. You will be asked to consider legislation to facilitate the development of larger units of school administration and the consolidation of elementary schools. Through representations to the Government of Canada, the original allocation of funds for this province under the Student Loan Programme was increased and all applications for loans have been processed. With the cooperation of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and with assistance under the Agriculture Rehabilitation and Development Act, My Government has established a Committee to assist in the development of agricultural education in the province. Our fishermen have enjoyed a prosperous year. Despite reduced catches, prices were maintained at a high level. My Government continues to give its attention to the problems of our fishermen. The new fish processing plant at Georgetown will do much to insure increased prosperity for this important industry. Under the Agricultural Rehabilitation and Development Act, My Government will sign a new Agreement with the Government of Canada to become effective April 1, 1965. A new Director of Fish and Game has been appointed and My Government will implement a province-wide programme for the development of our fish and wildlife resources. A new Marine Slip is under construction at Alberton. This facility will materially assist the ship builders and fishermen generally in that area. Economic surveys of Prince and western Queens Counties by three consulting firms have been completed and a number of research reports will be tabled. A plan for the overall development of the resources in these areas is under detailed study. The continued increase in employment opportunities for our people has necessitated the establishment of a cost-sharing Job Training Programme in the province. My Government will continue its efforts to establish new industries in the province and to encourage and assist others in expanding their productive capacities. A new industrial promotion campaign will be initiated shortly with the publication of an attractive and factual brochure. After careful study over an extended period, my Government has decided that our existing legislation concerning Industrial Development requires change, in order to provide for the up to date pattern which Industrial Development is taking, as well as to enlist the co-operation of our industrial and business leaders. For this purpose legislation to this effect will be introduced. New proposals for improving industrial promotion, involving extensive changes in existing legislation, will be introduced for your consideration; The efficiency of our Transportation System to and from the Province at Wood Islands has been vastly expanded by the addition of the new Ferry "Prince Nova", early last May. With completion last September of the new dock at Borden, the widening and paving of the approaches, we look forward to a more efficient service. The policy of My Government with regard to railway facilities on the causeway remains unchanged. Until such time as the Government of Canada submits an alternative proposal satisfactory to the province; My Government will insist that rails be included in any plan for a causeway. The construction of new and improved highways, begun by My government in 1959, will continue at full speed. The Roads-to-Resources Programme will be extended into 1966 and the strengthening of the Trans-Canada Highway to all-weather standards will be completed next year. My government proposes to eliminate as far as possible all seasonal weight restrictions on our highways and to this end negotiations with the Government of Canada are going forward towards a joint programme: for the construction of a provincewide network of all-weather roads. The new administration building for the Provincial Government will be completed and occupied in 1965. As a result of representations made to the Atlantic Development Board, a number of projects in the province have been approved. A direct road to the new food processing plant at Montague is now under construction and will be completed early in 1965. Consultation services in Nursing and Dietetics will be provided to all General Hospitals in the province. To provide for earlier diagnosis in some forms of cancer, My Government will provide for technicians to be trained in cytology. My Government has completed a province-wide immunization programme for all school and pre-school children. Over sixty thousand doses of the new oral poliomyelitis vaccine have been administered. Treatment at our Rehabilitation Centre will be substantially improved by the addition of a new Brace and Shoe Shop now under construction. The tuberculosis treatment programme in the province is showing very commendable results. New active cases have been decreased by 33 1/3% over the past ten years and reached an all time low of 30 in 1964. The annual average since 1955 has been 43. The Winter Works Incentive Programme continues to provide employment in this province. Eighty-five projects, involving over sixteen hundred men, are presently underway. My Government continues to provide care and comfort for the aged. Eight new Senior Citizens Housing Projects are under construction and when completed will increase to eighteen the number of such residences in the province. In addition, a new programme of Nursing Lodges has been initiated and the first seventy bed unit will be built in Summerside. My Government awaits with interest details of the Canada Pension Plan. Every effort will be made to have all Island citizens benefit under the Plan. Following the amendments to the Liquor Control Act at the last session of the Legislature, My Government, in co-operation with the Liquor Control Commission, directed every effort to the proper enforcement of this law. In an effort to rehabilitate first and young offenders of the law, My Government has instituted a Probation Service. A qualified social worker has been appointed to be officer-in-charge of this service. A new Coroners Act will be presented for your consideration. During the past year, three Federal-Provincial Conferences have been convened. Consideration was given to the relations between the Provinces and the Government of Canada in fiscal matters, pensions, and the repatriation of the Constitution. The Government of Prince Edward Island has tentatively agreed to the Constitutional Amendments which will return the British North America Act to Canada. During the past year, My Government engaged a firm of Chartered Accountants to prepare a Balance Sheet for the Province as at March 31, 1964. This is the first occasion that such a balance sheet has been prepared and presents fairly the financial position of the Province as at March 31, 1964. My Government has conducted the administration of the affairs of the Province with every possible economy consistent with the efficiency of public works and public service. Financing has been carried on at extremely favourable interest rates and the sinking funds are maintained at a high and satisfactory level. In the preparation and passing of the current and capital estimates for the forthcoming fiscal year, it is necessary that every care should be exercised towards economy and the maintenance of that sound condition of finance so necessary to a province with limited financial resources. The Public Accounts for the fiscal year, ended March 31,1964 will be placed before you. An Interim Statement forecasting the revenue and expenditure for the current year and the estimates for the fiscal year commencing April 1, 1965, will also be presented for your consideration. May you be guided in your deliberations by that Divine Power which works for the betterment of all people. I now leave you to your Legislative Duties. ??