Thank you Brett. Hello everyone. It’s great to be back at Thompson Rivers University once again after kicking off our annual town hall tour here last night. I want to thank you for your welcome. Elder Estella I want to thank you for your beautiful words and your blessing. And I want to thank all the students here. Thank you for sharing with me a glimpse into what you did just earlier and thank you for being here this morning, because your hard work and what you are learning right now is going to contribute in significant ways to the economic growth that Canada needs to see by getting great jobs and growing your communities.

We wanted to come back today to visit the university’s brand new Industrial Training and Technology Centre. As you know, one of our government’s top priorities has been to cement Canada’s position as a global leader in innovation. And the first step in achieving that goal is to invest in our students and in their future.

Young people know better than anyone how quickly our world is changing. Technology and innovation have indeed changed completely how we learn, work and live. And even if the new economy presents new opportunities, young Canadians do not always have the impression that they have the tools to seize those opportunities. That is why our government has decided to take action. We have announced new funds to support colleges and our universities while they continue to tailor their programs to the changing landscape of the current economy.

Here in Kamloops our government invested more than 13 million dollars to build this Industrial Training and Technology Centre. Coupled with contributions from the BC government, TRU and other donors, the centre opened its doors in September for students to enjoy. And today I had the chance to see how this project became a reality. With this new state-of-the-art facility the trades and technology program welcomes 550 additional students and offers new training for in-demand technology and trades professions. It also creates new dedicated teaching spaces for architectural engineering technology programs. These changes will not only better prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, but also propel our country forward. After all, the people who work in the trades build Canada. They build our homes, power our offices and ensure that our water is clean and safe. Every day they repair, modernize and innovate so communities can thrive.

With investments like the one we made here at TRU, our goal is to ensure that the next generation of tradesmen and women have the tools, training and knowledge to build a better Canada for all Canadians. Today I had the pleasure of seeing part of this vision come to life here in Kamloops. But I’m even more excited to see what the students will get up to in the year to come.