VANCOUVER Mayor Mayor Kennedy Stewart had a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Vancouver City Hall on Friday in which they spoke about deepening their partnership and working together to tackle the housing crisis, the overdose emergency, and congestion along one of Canada’s busiest transit corridors.

Stewart in a statement said: “On housing, I first thanked the Prime Minister for his government’s unprecedented $184-million investment in 1,100 social housing units announced earlier this August. I also expressed how heartened I am by Housing Minister [Jean-Yves] Duclos’ commitment to provide further funding for more modular housing and to repair and renew thousands of non-profit and co-op housing homes in our city. This is welcome news and I urged the Prime Minister to help accelerate action on these commitments so that we can turn the corner on the housing crisis.

“I also expressed our deep gratitude for recent federal investments that have helped reduce the number of deaths due to overdose and for his commitment to advancing the safe-supply approach to saving lives. In addition, I requested the Prime Minister’s assistance with securing Health Canada exemptions to allow health professionals to establish Vancouver’s and Canada’s first non-profit organization empowered to distribute a clean-drug substitute to people at risk of overdose.

“Finally, I thanked the Prime Minister for funding the Millenium Line extension along Broadway to Arbutus Street. I expressed hope from across the Metro Vancouver region to extend the Broadway line to UBC bringing much-needed relief to commuters and reducing polluting emissions.”

Stewart added: “Working together, city council and the federal government have produced significant improvements for the lives of Vancouverites. By deepening our partnership, we can accomplish even more and build a city that works for everyone.”