The Member of Parliament for Provencher believes 2018 will finally be the year where southeastern Manitoba will get improved cell phone service. Ted Falk is referring to the many dead spots in less populated areas of the riding. He says discussions have been ongoing with cell phone service providers in the southeast.

"I'm hoping early in 2018, we'll hear some formal announcements. But I'm led to believe that we're going to get expanded cell coverage in some of the very critical areas here in Provencher, in the southeast. I'm very encouraged about that and I'm looking forward to being part of announcements in the fairly near future on that."

Falk says, as he looks ahead to the coming year, he is also hoping to attract more federal infrastructure dollars to communities in the constituency. He adds many municipalities have projects they'd like to do that are contingent on these grants and he is working hard on their behalf to secure that funding.

Meanwhile, he says the Conservative party plans to make some noise in the coming months about a new provision in the Canada Summer jobs program.

"Both the job applicant and the organization that is applying for funding under the Canada Summer Jobs Program will have to sign an attestation saying that they respect individual human rights in Canada, and they've also tacked on there that that also includes reproductive rights. That's something that a lot of organizations are going to have a lot of problems with, that the Liberal Government is now forcing its values, or lack of values and morals, on people who are asking for funding under the Canada Summer Jobs Program. I think that's something that most Canadians, if not all Canadians, should find very disturbing."